Everything to Gain
by TallestBlue
Summary: The absence of one person in a moment can change everything. 'When I look at you I feel. That feeling is so overwhelming and new that I must follow it, and no matter what I do I just can't let go.' KyoHaru
1. Chapter 1

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 1: The Fee of Flowers

**Hello readers! I really hope you like this, the idea randomly came to me while reading Volume 3 of the manga. **

**And yes, the first part of dialog is all out of the manga… I didn't really see any reason to change it.  
So… ENJOY!**

**Update 3/5/11- Just added some things to this quickly. It's odd how short this chapter is compared to the rest.. I am looking back at this while I am writing chapter 15 and I am just face-palming... My writing was somehow worse only a few weeks ago. Strange, huh?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran at all sadly… Unless Bisco Hatori wants to give it to me! Which I won't mind.. Heheh.**

* * *

"Are you done?" Kyouya called out towards the bathroom, watching as Haruhi stretched her head around the corner, peering out to see where she had ended up in her frantic rush to find the bathroom.

She saw the tall man in front of her without a shirt, a damp towel wrapped around his shoulders. She tensed at the sight of him and quickly made her way to the door leading to the hallway, averting her eyes.

"Sorry!" She called, "I didn't mean to walk into a stranger's room!" She looked back at him and lightly smiled, "Oh, and I cleaned up your bathroom!"

Picking up a pair of glasses from the small glass table in front of him he said, "Hey, it's just me, Haruhi." He added in a mumbled breath, "How rude..."

Haruhi turned around her cheeks flushed. "Oh Kyouya-sempai… Where is everyone?"

She had seen no one outside in the hallway and the house was silent.

"They established 'The Committee For Discovering Nekozawa's True Identity' and wandered off, they are probably bothering him now..."

Kyouya walked over to a side table and picked up a bottle of water, as Haruhi trailed behind him.

She stopped and let out a light sigh, "I guess... I really worried everyone… I'm sorry."

"Oh, I wasn't worried." He leaned against the wall, the towel slipped off his shoulders.

"Though, I did have to stop the twins from beating those creeps to death and send flowers to all of the customers as an apology for their early leave."

"That must have been a lot of trouble" Her face paled, "You're not going to add the flowers to my debt, are you?".

There seemed to be a slight flicker in Kyouya's eyes, as he looked towards her, almost as if he had realized something.

Kyouya grinned, "Never mind that. Shall we do something else, since we have the chance?" He moved closer to her.

"Huh? Something…" Haruhi replied.

_What is he-_

Kyouya leaned over her pinning her to the wall, he moved his face next to hers breathing in the amber-like scent that had always surrounded her.

He turned the lights off with a flick off his hand. "You know, you could pay for the flowers with your body." He whispered.

He pushed her on to the bed and leaned in very close to her face, pressing himself against her small frame. "As a man, I could go after you at any time… And as a woman, you couldn't stop me. It may be time to rethink your naiveté? Acting natural is all well and good, but it's a mistake to keep your guard down."

Haruhi didn't move she was frozen in place.

It was if she was just a bystander watching another person, but at the same time she was fully conscious of Kyouya's closeness to her, and she understood what he was saying.

She knew that he couldn't truly want this, that there had to be something in it for him, and there was no merit in herself, right?

_Of course, there is no reason whatsoever that would compel him to do this if it did not have something for him to gain in it._

It seemed as though he was just rewording what Tamaki had said to her earlier, but he had added an action to it, a reason.

_Perhaps he is..._

She looked up at him, as he leaned over her, waiting for a reply, or at least a response. "Kyouya-sempai, you wouldn't do this. You…you have nothing to gain from going after me, right?"

A small chuckle came from his lips, he pulled away from her and it soon became full blown laughter.

Haruhi stared at him in partial awe at witnessing the great 'Shadow King' laugh.

After it had subsided, he put his glasses back on and glanced at her.

A small smirk seemed to play over his features.

"You are quite an interesting young woman Haruhi. But do you… understand?" There was an underlying feeling in that question, something that made it more than what the words meant.

There was a smile on her lips as she looked back at him, reading his words as nothing more than a meaningless question. "You were trying to be kind. I get it." She said lightly.

Kyouya stared back, his face blank. "What do you mean, Haruhi?"

She bit her bottom lip, a habit she had always had when she was nervous, or confused. "Isn't that what you were trying to show me?" She smiled again. "You played the villain to teach me, right?"

Haruhi watched as Kyouya's eyes flickered towards the window and then back at her.

"I suppose you are right, Haruhi. Do you realize why we were worried for you? You may not see it yourself, but we all see that you are a very independent person. It seems that you never think of relying on others or consider the fact that we want you to rely on us."

She thought about his words, it had always just been her father and her.

Her father wasn't the most reliable person.

She had always tried her hardest to not put any of her troubles on others.

It had seems inconsiderate and rude to her, she didn't want anyone else to have to worry about her happiness or unhappiness.

But, as Kyouya had said, all of the Host Club always wanted her to tell them things.

They always had cared about her and tried to help.

Not that they always succeeded in helping, but, it was the thought that counted.

_I suppose, that could be right.._

Just as she was about to speak, lightning danced across the sky illuminating the room.

The sound reverberated through the room and Haruhi stiffened and fear was clear throughout her face when the thunder clap followed.

Panic began to set in, her eyes darted around the room, looking for someplace to go.

She had almost totally forgotten that there was someone else in the room with her until Kyouya asked, "Haruhi, is there something wrong? You seem to be-"

The low rumble of thunder rang out and sent her onto her feet and off the bed.

"Ah! No, it's nothing! I've got to go now I... have somewhere to be!" Haruhi said with an obviously fake laugh, she was reaching for the door handle when another boom of thunder sounded throughout the house.

She jumped and changed directions, heading for a nearby closet.

She jumped into the small space locking the door.

"Haruhi... You are afraid of thunder aren't you." He reached for the door handle and twisted it only to realize it was locked.

She could hear his voice call out again, "You should get out of there, wouldn't being alone make it worse?"

"Aha-It's okay! I'm alone all the time sempai, I don't mind!" She called out, her voice squeaking as the lightning cracked across the sky.

Kyouya pulled open a nearby drawer and grabbed a small key and unlocked the door.

"It's okay Haruhi. Just come out now, it'll be over soon."

Lightning jumped across the sky blinding both of them as she almost involuntarily fell against him and pressed her head deeper into his chest, not noticing the fact that he was shirtless or how his pulse raced.

"It's okay.." He repeated again as he drew his PineapplePod out of his pocket.

He pulled out the ear buds and gave them to her, quickly navigating to the most calming track he had.

She seemed to relax after that, trying to concentrate on the music.

Soon the thunder and lightning stopped and the sound of heavy rain was the only thing that filled the room.

Haruhi's head rested nicely on his shoulder, her breathing grew deep and even, she was asleep.

He blinked, wondering what to do with her.

Then, trying his hardest not to wake her he lifted her up off the ground and placed her on his bed.

Kyouya quickly took a shirt from his bag and put it on, picked a pillow up and decided that sleeping on the couch wasn't that bad of an idea.

* * *

**Did you enjoy it? Did'ja? Hmmm? You did? Then leave a review..  
****It was pretty short, but I am just starting off so, forgive me, the next chapters are longer.****I am hoping for this to be a muti-chapter fic if I get some reviews.  
****SO REVIEW…please?**

**If there are any mistakes I didn't catch tell me please. I am sadly not perfect.. I might update this tomorrow if anyone is interested.  
~Blue **


	2. Chapter 2

Everything to Gain

Chapter 2: Waking up, and watching out.

**Woohoo, Chapter 2! It's long! I wanted to thank Ootori Haruhi,**** PROFANITYx, AlphaWolf13, Shellcious, RenesmeKiryu, SoulReaperRitsuka, white Mexican girl, ListensToGreenDay,** **bloodyhell95, and Gise Destler for reviewing! You all make me very happy!  
****I have to tell you first, that there is a random POV switch from Haruhi to Kyouya in here… So watch out.  
And if there are any mistakes, tell me... Please.. **

**So, here you go!**

* * *

Sunlight filtered in through the large glass windows of the room. Haruhi groaned and pushed a pillow over her head, but it was no use, she was already awake.

She blinked her eyes slowly, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, the large plush bed that she sat on and the huge room. _Ugh… Where am I? _

Thinking back to the night before she remembered Kyouya, who was trying to back up what Tamaki had said and then… the thunder storm.

_Crap! I must have fallen asleep! Wait... If I am in Kyouya-sempai's bed, where is he? _

She scanned the room and the top of a black haired head sticking out from the couch. Haruhi stood up and walked over.

_Great... He is asleep, and the last thing I want to do is wake him up. No way am I asking for the wrath of the Shadow King! I should just leave and go back to my room._

She quickly made the bed she had been sleeping on trying to be as silent as humanly possible.

Haruhi slipped out the door and let out a barely audible sigh as it closed. _Now to try and find my way to my room… Damn rich people.. Why do they have to have such large houses? Do they really need all of this space?_

She walked through the hallways taking random rights and lefts hoping to at least find someone. "Ugh, is anyone here?"

She felt something tickle the back of her neck. Turning around slowly she found herself face to face with Belzeneef. "Nekazowa-sempai?" She said, "You are up early!"

"Well, the spirits told me that you were lost and that I should help you. I had been hiding in my quarters, seeing as your friends have been trying to tear me apart just because I have to wear this black wig and cloak. But, lucky for me they are all asleep now. Follow me; your room is this way!" He announced going down the same hallway she came from.

After a series of turns and many different hallways she was back in her room. Letting out a sigh of relief she sat down on the bed and glanced at the clock. _9 o'clock already?_ _I really hope we leave soon. I have so much housework to do! It keeps getting backed up because of all these 'vacations' we have been taking… I wonder if they have breakfast out yet? I have nothing in my stomach since last night's crab incident.. Might as well check to see if they put any food out yet._

Haruhi searched through her bag that her dad had repacked and pulled out the only outfit left a light green dress that went down to her knees. _Geez, he always has to pick out the worst clothes for me…_

She reluctantly put it on, feeling awkward in it and headed for the kitchen, which luckily was easy to get to from her room. But, before she could get anywhere close to the food, she was picked up from behind by two people and rushed into a different room.

"Put me down guys! Come on! I just got up!" she yelled at the twins who were sitting across from her.

"No chance!" They said in unison, "Not until you tell us where you went last night, we looked for you in your room after we were done chasing Nekazowa-sempai and you weren't there!" They both leaned in to her "So where were you? We won't tell Tono if you talk now!"

"Why is it such a big deal where I was, it doesn't affect you, right?" She said, pushing them away.

"Because we want to know, it must be something secretive or else you would tell us.. Well, we might as well go tell Tamaki-sempai. He would find out."

Haruhi winced at the idea of Tamaki actually finding out. _I defiantly can't tell them the truth! They would go ballistic if I told them what happened and they would annoy me about my fear of thunder storms for the rest of my life. I have to make something up! I have never been good at lying! Something believable! Wait… I've got it!_

"Fine, fine! But don't make fun of me for it, okay?" The twins nodded, "After I threw up all of that crab I had to clean up the bathroom and then I got lost in the hallway and didn't find my way back until late at night! There, you happy!"

"Really, that's it… You got lost. Wow, and we were hoping for some big story full of espionage." Hikaru said, pouting. "How do you get lost in here? It isn't even that big of a mansion?" Kaoru threw her an apologetic look and pulled Hikaru out of the room.

She breathed a sigh of relief. _Yes! They believed me! Hopefully that will be the end of questioning today._

She walked out into the kitchen to see the entire Host Club eating an assortment of foods she had no name for. Tamaki glared at her from his seat, still depressed from her not speaking with him.

_Oh, I still have to apologize to him. _Haruhi grabbed a plate of pancakes from the buffet table. The only seat left was directly across from Tamaki. She sat down and said, loud enough that only he could hear, "Listen Tamaki-sempai, I am sorry I made you worry. I didn't know that my actions would affect you so much."

He ran around the table and scooped her up into a bone crushing hug. "Oh I forgive you my darling daughter! How I have missed speaking with you and I-"

"Put me down sempai!" She yelled, pushing herself off of him. "Geez, I said I was sorry. Not that I wanted all the life hugged out of me.." She sat back down and continued to devour her pancakes, leaving Tamaki standing there. He soon retreated into his Corner Of Woe murmuring, "My daughter had gotten so rebellious… She shouldn't be hanging out with those doppelgangers; they are bad influences on her."

* * *

**The next day…**

As the last bell of the school day rang, Haruhi quickly gathered up all of her belongings and dashed out the door. She weaved though the masses of students and walked into the first floor library. Walking to the very back, she was in a semi-quiet part of the room. The best place to study at this time of the day. She removed a few journals and textbooks from her bag and began to work.

Haruhi was absentmindedly filling out math problems when she happened to look at her watch, _3:55! Crap! I am going to be late for the Host Club! _

She threw all of her books into her bag and franticly ran back to the door.

As she rounded the corner of one bookshelf she ran smack into a student, spilling all of her belongings on the floor. "I'm so sorry!" She said to the tall man in front of her.

"Eh, it's no problem, happens to the best of us." He bent down and helped pick up the many books and pencils lying on the floor.

After Haruhi had stuffed them into her bag she walked to the library door. It was pouring outside. _Great… This'll be fun… or I will get soaked and forced to wear some ridiculous costume when I get there. Probably the latter. _She though, as she headed out into the rain.

* * *

The twins were stretched across the couch in Music Room 3, watching a frantic Tamaki pace across the room and tear up the floorboards.

"WHERE IS HARUHI!" Tamaki wailed, "Where is my precious daughter! It is 4:10 and she isn't here yet!"

He turned to Hikaru and Kaoru, "Did you two shady twins give her to the mafia? Is she being forced into marriage with an evil mafia leader? Is it that Bossa Nova guy?"

The twins stood up in perfect unison and pushed their 'king' off of them, "What are you talking about?" Hikaru looked out the window solemnly, "We don't know where she is, we haven't seen her since class today. She's never late, so I guess there must be a pretty good reason she isn't here." Kaoru stretched his head back, "Probably this rain. I doubt anyone would be on time if they had to go through that.."

"Well, if she isn't I am blaming it on you" Tamaki said with a sigh. "To think, my poor little daughter is out there in the pouring rain! She is probably cowering in a corner somewhere begging to be saved!" He stood up a valiant grin on his face. "I must save-hrmphf" He jerked his head back as he was hit in the face with a pillow thrown by the twins.

"Idiot… She probably wouldn't want you to save her anyways! She would want us. We are much better friends with her!" Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison. They inched toward Tamaki and whispered; "Besides she loves us much more than you, Sempai!"

"Haruhi loves me! I'm her father, why wouldn't she love me! You lying doppelgangers! Come here!" He said as he chased them around the room leaving the floor scorched when they passed. "Haha! You can't catch us!" They taunted.

Across the room Kyouya looked up from his laptop to see the destruction left in the path of the three.

**(Random POV switch to Kyouya)**

_Hmm, Haruhi isn't here yet. That's odd, she is always on time. _ He opened up a webpage on his computer showing the view from many security cameras placed around Ouran Academy's campus.

_She doesn't seem to be in any of her classrooms, nor the library. It does look like there might be a storm and I wouldn't want her to be alone during that.. Normally I would send Mori-sempai or Honey-sempai out to go get her. But I don't think she would appreciate it if they knew her fear. I suppose I should do it then. _He stood up and strolled over to the door picked an umbrella and walked out.

Kyouya looked around. He was outside the South Building in which the Host Club was. But, Haruhi was nowhere to be seen.

_Well, the library she uses is in the North Building so I guess I should start there.._

He trudged across the open hallway thankful that he had an umbrella "Haruhi?" He called. _No answer, well, this looks like it is going to be harder than I though._

Somewhere to his right he heard, "Ow, crap!".

"Haruhi! Is that you?"

"Kyouya-sempai? Yeah, it's me. I'm stuck though, my foot hit this branch and I tripped…"

He rushed over to the side garden where Haruhi was leaned against a tree, her foot twisted at an odd angle. He offered her his arm to lean on as she hobbled towards a covered ramp. But, she slipped in a muddy patch of grass.

Kyouya dropped his umbrella to catch her. Then, he picked her up bridal-style and walked her into the building and up the stairs to Music Room 3.

The twins and Tamaki had still been chasing each other around when they walked in. They gawked at the sight of Kyouya dripping wet and Haruhi covered with mud.

Tamaki ran up to the two, "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER? Did Kyouya do this to you Haruhi? THIS IS CHILD ABUSE-"

"Kyouya-sempai actually saved me! And I AM NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" Tamaki retreated into his Corner Of Woe again, Kyouya rolled his eyes.

He gave them the Shadow King glare, which knocked down the temperature of the room by ten degrees."Are you guys going to just stand there and stare at us or are you going to get us a change of clothes? Also get a towel, a bucket of water, and the first-aid kit so I can take a look at Haruhi's ankle."

They all hurried off, the twins retrieved the uniforms, Mori got the first aid kit and water, and Honey set up towels and plastic over a chair so they could sit Haruhi down without ruining the furniture.

"My ankle is fine, I just need a shower and some clothes." She tried to jump out of Kyouya's arms to prove her point but was held fast.

"You are hurt. Stop arguing and let us take care of you for the moment." He said walking over to the chair and setting her down. "Honey-sempai, get all the mud off her ankle and make sure she doesn't leave."

"Yes sir, Kyo-chan!" Said the short blonde 3rd year.

Within minutes Kyouya returned wearing a set of dry clothes.

He examined Haruhi's ankle pushing it this way and that. "It isn't broken, but it is sprained. Whatever you do don't move it."

He walked to the kitchen to retrieve a bag of crushed ice and held it against her ankle. Then, he pulled a compression band out of the first-aid kit and wrapped it around her ankle and lower leg and placed it on a few pillows.

"You are going to have to rest for 2 to 3 days, Haruhi." He pushed his glasses up on his face, "Does it feel any better now?"

"Yeah, it feels better. I think the ice helped. I can still come to school during these 2 to 3 days of resting, right?"She said, peeling her now mud caked jacket off of her.

"You will need crutches, most likely seeing as you would probably like to walk. I think we have some in the back room from that doctor cosplay. Let me go check. Hikaru, Kaoru! Help Haruhi into some clothes new clothes." Kyouya ordered as he disappeared into the back room.

"Ahaha… I can get into my clothes myself, trust me.." The twins closed in on her, "But that wouldn't be any fun would it Haruhi? Hahaha!"

Kyouya walked though the messy room filled to the ceiling with boxes of costumes. _This is why I should have never let the twins organize things.. _He sorted though the boxes looking for the right one. _I am quite glad she didn't suffer anything more than just a grade 1 swollen ankle. She could have hit her head, or had a concussion or even- Wait, I am thinking like Tamaki now.. He must be wearing off on me. _Kyouya found the box labeled 'Hospital'. He opened the top and removed a pair of crutches, which he remembered were almost too big for Honey when they used them. For once he was glad that Tamaki had to make them buy all the real items for their cosplay.

"Haruhi, here are your crutches." He announced. Looking up he saw her dressed in a clean uniform. Even with the male uniform on she looked exactly like a girl, how none of the other students had figured this out by now was a mystery to him.

Kyouya handed the crutches to her and helped her off the chair. She put her hands around them and hobbled over to the door. "They are the perfect size, surprisingly." She said.

"They were mine Haru-chan!" exclaimed Honey.

A ringing came from Haruhi's pocket; she struggled to reach it with her crutches in hand.

Kyouya walked over and plucked it from her, gaining an angry glare. After glancing at the caller ID he flipped it open. "Hello Ranka, this is Kyouya… Haruhi sprained her ankle, but I have it taken care of.. Yes, yes I know… I'd be happy to… I might, I will have to check.. Bye!"

"What was that about? Why did you steal it out of my hand? I could have answered it!" Haruhi asked, obviously annoyed.

"After explaining the situation to your father, he asked me to give you a ride home, which I will be doing. And I didn't let you answer it because you would have fallen and hurt yourself further if you tried. Oh, and your father wants me to have dinner with you and him, seeing as I have nothing to do I would like to accept if that is okay with you Haruhi." Kyouya answered with a smirk on his face.

_Usually I would never want to eat at Haruhi's house, but I have this sudden urge to go… and… be with her. Ugh, there is defiantly something wrong with me.._

Haruhi bit her bottom lip, "I suppose you can come. Though, I never thought you would want to, sempai. I mean, there is nothing for you to gain in eating at my house, is there?"

"Oh don't worry Haruhi, I have my reasons."

* * *

**YAY! 3,000 word chapter! I feel successful! I really hope you enjoyed it, because I worked quite hard on it..  
Why the extra long chapter you ask?  
Because I am going on vacation tomorrow and I don't know if I will be able to update while I am there.  
I know.. I am a bad person… After two chapters I might be taking a break! Yeah, well deal with it. I have a life too and I will only be gone five days, and then when I come back I will have lots to add. :D So, review people!  
Did you hear me?  
REVIEW!  
I know that you are there, I can track you…  
Review's make me happy and make me want to update faster.  
So click that button and say something!**

**~Blue**


	3. Chapter 3

Everything To Gain  
Chapter 3: Feeling

**Hello!  
Thanks for reading chapter three!  
A special thanks goes out to BloodyHell95, ListensToGreenDay, SoulReaperRitsuka, and PROFANITYX. For reviewing both chapters I have written so far.  
Also Swahili gets a thanks for reviewing at the exact time I was depressed and wondering if I should write or not.  
Now, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: Still, I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. But I want to...**

* * *

Previously…

"_After explaining the situation to your father, he asked me to give you a ride home, which I will be doing. And I didn't let you answer it because you would have fallen and hurt yourself further if you tried. Oh, and your father wants me to have dinner with you and him, seeing as I have nothing to do I would like to accept if that is okay with you Haruhi." Kyouya answered with a smirk on his face. _

'UsuallyI would never want to eat at Haruhi's house, but I have this sudden urge to go… and… be with her. Ugh, there is something wrong with me..'

_Haruhi bit her bottom lip, "I suppose you can come. Though, I never thought you would want to, sempai. I mean, there is nothing for you to gain in eating at my house, is there?"_

"_Oh don't worry Haruhi, I have my reasons."_

* * *

"Oh come on Haruhi, why can't we come?" The twins slid up next to her, back from whatever mysterious place they had been. "I thought we were your friends? Why wouldn't you want us at your house?" They put on a mask of sadness. "Why Haruhi, why?"

A small blonde figure pushed them off of her, "Haru-chan! Haru-chan! We want to come too! We can bring cake and bunnies…. And more cake! It'll be great!"

Honey was jumping up and down with Mori standing beside him.

"Well, guys I-"

Tamaki pulled himself out of the Corner of Woe he was in, "WHAT? KYOUYA GETS TO EAT AT YOUR HOUSE? NOT FAIR!" He fell back to the floor, "Do you love mommy more than your daddy, Haruhi? Are you going through a rebellious stage! You don't know what your evil mother will do! You could be sold on the Black Market Haruhi! THE BLACK MARKET! Please invite daddy! Daddy will keep you safe and he will be so happy! Please Haruhi, I-"

Haruhi hobbled over to him and hit him with the edge of her crutches, "Stop whining! You guys can't come. There is no way I am making food for you all again. The only reason Kyouya-sempai is coming is because my Dad invited him and I really don't think that my Dad would want you there, Tamaki-sempai. You of all people should know that if Kyouya-sempai is going he must have some other secret reason to be there then just eat." She turned around to look at Kyouya, who was currently tapping away at his laptop ignoring the scene before him; she glanced at the ornate clock on the wall.

_AH! 6:30 already! This has taken way too much time! I still have some studying to do and I have to make dinner for three.. Why is Kyouya-sempai coming over anyways, I know he was lying when he said he had no work to do... That guy always has work. Though, I guess it is kind of worth it seeing Tamaki-sempai freak out like this.._

"Haruhi. I suppose it would be best if we left now." Kyouya looked out the window, "The weather has cleared up a bit, and you must have some homework to do." He stood up and packed up his laptop.

Tamaki grabbed a hold of Kyouya's leg. "But… But… Kyouyaaaaa! Why can't I come with you! I won't be a problem! I'll be on my best manners and I-"

"It is not my decision if you can come or not, Tamaki. I am only going on an invitation from Ranka and I think it would be rude for me to decline that. Seeing as it is very unlikely that he would ever invite you, I will not take you with me."

Kyouya shook the blonde haired idiot off his leg and picked Haruhi's bag up from the couch. He turned towards Haruhi, "Come on now."

He walked past her and held open the door and she hobbled through it.

He poked his head into the door where the half-dead Tamaki lay on the floor with Mori and Honey occasionally poking him. The twins sat down on the couch, playing a hand held game.

"Oh, and don't forget that Kassanoda is stopping by tomorrow around 4:30 so please do not torture him." He zeroed in on the twins, "That means you two as well."

With that he turned around and walked out the door.

They walked down the hallway in silence.

_Great, _she thought, _this is awkward… _

She looked over at Kyouya and found him looking straight back at her. Haruhi quickly turned her head away as her cheeks flushed.

_And it'll only get worse… _

He turned down the left corridor, away from the stairs.

"Uh, Kyouya-Sempai? Where are we going?"

"The elevator. I am guessing it would be better than watching you fall down the stairs."

"This building has an elevator?" She then muttered "Then again, why wouldn't it with all these damn rich people..."

Kyouya stifled a laugh as he pressed the call button for the elevator, the doors swung open almost instantaneously.

He pressed the 'Floor One' button and they descended.

Tachibana was waiting for them with umbrellas and helped Haruhi into the waiting limousine. She let out a sigh of relief as she placed the crutches beside her. Kyouya was already on his laptop, clicking away at something.

"So you do have work." Haruhi stated as the car began to move.

"Hmm?" Kyouya replied, not looking up from his computer.

"Before you said that you were coming to dinner with us because you had nothing to do. But, you do have work to do, obviously, so why are you having dinner at my house?"

There was a moment of silence where Haruhi could hear the light pitter patter of rain falling on the roof of the car and the click of the laptop's keys.

He looked up at her, "I suppose you caught me, I do have work, but I am still dining with you." He smirked and closed his laptop, "What an unthinkable thing…"

"You still didn't answer my question."

"I guess I didn't…" Kyouya leaned in closer to her, "Let me let you in on a little secret, Haruhi. Did you ever think that I could be eating with you and your father, just because I want to? Has that idea ever crossed your mind? The fact that there might be no secret motive behind me this time?"

He was very close to her now, his head almost touching her shoulder. Haruhi could smell his cologne.

_Kyouya-sempai just wants to… hang out? No, no, no… Just putting it in that context makes it seem even stranger. Well I have always known that there is a person behind those glasses but I would have never though he would be interested in being friends with me. I suppose it is quite possible._

"I am very sorry, sempai if my assumptions offended you at all. It is true that I hadn't thought of that. But I won't that mistake again, okay?"

Kyouya chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

"What is it? Did I say something?" Haruhi asked.

"Nothing Haruhi, nothing." He turned to face the window, it was still raining.

Neither of them said a word, but yet, it wasn't an awkward silence. It was just silence.

"I think you are a good person, Kyouya-sempai. But, for some reason you try to hide it. People will still take you seriously even if you aren't the Demon Lord all the time. You and Tamaki-Sempai really are alike in many ways, but, he shows his feelings more openly than you. I think you should try to lighten up; you are only in high school. There is no reason for you to not be yourself and show your feelings."

Kyouya stared at her; his onyx eyes seemed as if they could drill holes into her. But, she stared back. He leaned in even closer, his cheek brushed against her neck.

"I'll take your advice, Haruhi" He breathed in.

_Wha- What is- Is he- I am not pulling away though. Why aren't I pulling away?_

Somewhere, deep in her mind a part of her answered herself.

_Because you like it._

_No, no, no… I can't like this; this is Kyouya-Sempai we are talking about. Kyouya-Sempai. He.. He.. Oh I don't know.._

The car stopped moving, she looked outside, they were outside her apartment complex.

Kyouya's eyes snapped back into focus, he quickly pulled away from Haruhi just as Tachibana opened the door. Haruhi got out of the car as quickly as one can with crutches.

He followed, taking her bag with him.

Ranka was standing right outside the car and glomped Haruhi as soon as he saw her.

"HARUHI! ARE YOU OKAY? Did that Tamaki do this to you? I am sure he did! I never have liked that guy! I hate him! And now look at what happened to you, my precious little daughter! Oh, poor, poor, thing! It's a good thing that Kyouya was here to help you or else you probably would have never made it home! Then I would spend years looking for you until I turned into an old unattractive man and I would eventually die alone! It's just so horrible that I-"

"DAD! Stop the rant! I am fine. Tamaki-Sempai didn't do this to me, I did it to myself. I would have been able to make it home without Kyouya-sempai and you wouldn't spend your entire life searching for me. Stop blowing things out of proportion and please stop hugging me!" Haruhi pried herself from Ranka's arms and hobbled over to the staircase leading to the apartment. "Come on! I still have to make dinner."

"Fine, fine, fine Haruhi! You may hate me for being such an amazingly caring father, but, we can still have dinner! Right Kyouya?"

Kyouya suppressed what was about to be a laugh, "Sure, Ranka." He said with his host smile.

"Ah! YES!" Ranka said, with hearts of moe flying over his head, "We shall have dinner!" And with that the transvestite that was Haruhi's father picked up his daughter and ran into the apartment and Kyouya followed him, smiling the whole time.

* * *

**I am very sorry it took me so long to update, I was swarmed with makeup work from school and this chapter did not want to be written.  
Just so you know, I will always update on the weekends, and I am trying to update during the week if I have time. Which I might not.  
The ending for this chapter is kinda crappy, I know. But I had to end it here.  
I think the next chapter will be fun to write though. I get Ranka, who is like a crazy Tamaki, and Kassanoda to play with so, it'll be interesting.  
I see you people you just alert and don't comment. I am watching you..  
Just, please review, it doesn't even have to be long! I could be a "I like this." And that itself would make me happy.  
My little train of Everything to Gain is powered by reviews. So I will update faster if you review.  
That was pretty cheesy. But, it gets the point across.  
Review, please. **


	4. Chapter 4

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 4: Dinner and Discoveries.

**Yesh people, chapter 4.  
****Be excited.  
****It's good.  
****I kinda wrote this chapter when I was half brain dead so tell me if you see any mistake.. Heh.**

******I am taking the wonderful Swahili's advice and now have text-marking tools for Kyouya's thoughts.  
**_Italics underlined = His conscience  
Regular italics = His normal, Kyouya-like thoughts._  


**Time to read!  
**

**Disclaimer: I went to court with Bisco to see if I could have the rights to Ouran. I lost. So… no Kyouya for me…**

* * *

Ranka had forced Haruhi to sit down and let him serve her claiming he had already made food seeing as he couldn't stand the fact of his darling Haruhi to walk around on her sprained ankle just to make him dinner. But, he soon began to frantically run around the kitchen looking for this and that and squealing as his food burned.

Haruhi, eventually intervened, casting her father aside with a glare.

With overly exaggerated motions Ranka sat down next to the chair Kyouya was currently sitting in.

"So Kyouya-kun, what has been going on with my precious daughter lately?" He pouted, "You didn't call me at all last week to inform me on how the beach trip went. Did you see the adorable outfits I picked out for Haruhi? I saw them in this one little boutique and just had to get them, they are just so kawaii!"

"Oh, I am quite sorry Ranka; my schedule has been quite busy. The trip to the beach went quite well, we had our clients come along so Haruhi stayed out of the water obviously. Though, we did have a little trouble with some idiots finding their way onto the property-"He glanced at Haruhi to see her glaring back almost screaming the words _"Don't tell him!". _"-but we promptly got rid of them. Other than that, the trip was relatively uneventful."

Kyouya pushed his glasses up off the bridge of his nose.

There was a small crash from the kitchen. They both hurried over to her.

"What is it Haruhi! Are you hurt? Are you going to die? Don't leave me alone!" Ranka was clinging to a very annoyed looking Haruhi.

Kyouya quickly glanced over the room and saw the only damage done was the cracking of a small plate. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and he realized his heat beat had increased.

_Why was I… worried? I was worried about her? For what, I know she is perfectly capable of handling herself and the chance that any real harm could have come to her was minimal, so why would I worry?_

_Maybe you care about her, remember in the car-_

He quickly pushed that though away, back to the deep recesses of his mind he was sure it came from.

_It was just a plate,_ he convinced himself, _I was concerned for her safety as any… friend would be._

Haruhi was now forced to her seat by a over worried Ranka, she had luckily already finished cooking and had been in the process of getting bowls when a plate fell from the cabinet.

Her father had successfully finished the job and now sat the bowls in front of them with a flourish.

Curry.

Yellow curry.

Somehow it seemed perfect for the situation given its commonness and the factor that it usually always tasted good.

Kyouya took a bite from it warily, still hesitant about eating common food. But his worries soon disappeared, it was very spicy and full of flavor, just how he liked it.

He gladly took another bite only now realizing how hungry he was seeing as he had not had lunch.

"Haruhi, this is very good." He said, looking her straight in the eye.

A satisfactory feeling rushed through him as her face flushed.

"Ano.. Thank you, sempai. I'm glad you like it."

"Aww, my little Haruhi is so kawaii!" Ranka spun around in little circles, hearts racing from his eyes.

Dinner continued on with Ranka raving on about how evil Tamaki is and how Haruhi would most surely die if Kyouya wasn't there to protect her from his perverted ways.

Around eight o'clock the okama franticly dashed out the door after explaining on how he was going to be late for his shift at the bar, leaving the two of them alone.

Haruhi looked up at Kyouya, "Sorry my Dad rushed out like that. He always looses track of time, we are both really glad his boss puts up with his lateness."

Before Haruhi could get to them Kyouya picked up the bowls and placed them in the sink.

He almost grinned after seeing her face, "What? You didn't think rich people could put away plates? Really Haruhi, give me more credit than that. We may have maids clean up for ourselves usually but we are not that idiotic."

"Rich bastard." She mumbled.

"I heard that."

Haruhi rolled her eyes, "I have to thank you, sempai, for not telling my father about those idiots pushing me off that cliff. He would have gone ballistic and I never would have heard the end of it."

"It is fine Haruhi. Though, I will add it to your debt."

She sweatdropped, "Really.. You are adding it to my debt? How do human actions transpose into a money based debt?"

He sat next to her on the couch, "Well based on the amount of trouble it caused me I personally decide its worth."

Kyouya let a small smile slip as she turned her head away from him.

"Haruhi, do you mind if I stay here for a little while? My driver is across town on an errand for my brother." He lied for no real reason. Somehow he felt as if he should stay longer.

_I have my laptop here; I can get all the work I would do at home done. _He reasoned with himself, _it's not because of Haruhi that I am staying… No, it's because this is a… less stressful environment. Yes, exactly._

It was true that Haruhi had a calming effect on him. It was if he didn't even have to put up his walls for her, she can see through them already. It was… relaxing.

She nodded, "As long as you don't mind me studying. I didn't get much work done today do to all this." Haruhi gestured to her ankle.

"Speaking of that let me check it again. Does it still hurt?" He scooted closer to Haruhi and lifted her foot into his lap, gingerly beginning to take the bandage off her ankle.

"Not really, most of the pain went away, but it still does hurt when-" She winced, "-you do that."

Kyouya jerked his hand away from the spot he had just touched; a small area was swollen and red.

"Well, there is the problem. Just keep the crutches for at least two more days; it should be gone by then." He rewrapped the bandage and walked over to their bags that he had placed by the door, grabbing both of them he returned to his seat on the couch.

Haruhi pulled her books out of the bag, still in disarray from her frantic run to the Host Club this afternoon. She looked up at Kyouya who was already typing away at his laptop and sighed.

After checking the stocks on a few companies he had recently invested in and making sure that they were doing as he predicted he glanced at Haruhi, scribbling away at a worksheet and occasionally checking over a paragraph in the textbook next to her.

Her hair was slightly ruffled and her uniform jacket discarded, she furrowed her large brown eyes deep in concentration. She looked very cute, almost as if-

Wait.

What?

What did he just think?

Did he, Kyouya Ootori just call Haruhi Fujioka cute?

Impossible, absolutely impossible

He could not have thought that.

_But you did. Didn't you?_

_Shut up, It was a slip of my rational thinking. A break. This commoner food must have messed with my head._

_Making excuses now aren't we?_

_I am not. There is no way, no way at all._

_But yet it still happened._

_Why am I arguing with myself? I have gone crazy. Insane. I cannot think of her that way._

_Is it really all that bad? She is good looking, even in men's clothing. _

_Yes! It is that bad! But I do wonder how she is mistaken for a boy though, she is so obviously feminine. _

_And what about what happened in the car?_

… _I don't know. This feeling just came over me. I couldn't even describe it. I wanted to be near her._

_And why do you think that is?_

_Because… Because… _Then it hit him, the realization hit him almost like a train head on. His face turned a shade of red, something it had never done before.

_I like her. I like Fujioka Haruhi more than a friend. I wouldn't think it was possible. She has no prestigious family name, she isn't rich, and there isn't any reason to find an attraction to her._

_There isn't reason behind attraction Kyouya._

_I guess not…_

Finished with the conversation between himself and himself that was going on in his head he resumed his work; his eyes would occasionally flicker over to Haruhi's petite form hunched over the table.

Kyouya watched as she closed her textbooks and slipped them back into her bag. She hobbled over to the kitchen; he soon heard the sound of running water followed by the clank of dishes.

_She works herself much too hard. Doesn't she know she should be resting, not doing to the dishes while on crutches? _

He set down his laptop and walked over to the kitchen. Her back was turned and she didn't hear him walk towards her.

He moved on an impulse, a crazy, probably idiotic impulse, and wrapped his arms around her from behind taking a hold of her wrists. Reaching his head around the side of her neck he felt her stiffen.

"K-Kyouya-s-sempai?"

"You really should try to relax Haruhi. Trying to do meaningless tasks while injured is not good for you" His voice seemed quiet and without the cold, calculating tendency he always had.

"I-I think-"

Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a loud incessant ringing coming from Kyouya's pocket, the annoying ringtone could only mean one person.

"Tamaki is a dead man!" He growled. Taking his arms from Haruhi he plucked the phone out of his pocked and walked into another room.

"Tamaki. What do you want?" He let his demonic side show through his voice.

"KYOOOUUUYYAAA! IS HARUHI OKAY! SHE WON'T ANSWER MY CALLS, IS SHE DEAD? WAS SHE SOLD TO THE BLACK MARKET?"

"Shut up! I did not sell her to anyone you idiot! Is that really what you called me for?"

"But Kyouyaaaa! I want to hang out with Haruhi too! You got her all to yourself it is not fair!"

"I am not going to argue with you about this Tamaki I-" He heard a loud boom from Tamaki's side of the line.

"Tamaki. What was that?"

"Thunder, why?"

Kyouya became completely serious, "Where are you right this second Tamaki?"

"I am in the Kita ward, heading home from that one restaurant with that statue that I thought looks like a duck."

Kyouya calculated the distance from there to Haruhi's house with the wind direction.

_The storm will be here any minute-_

* * *

**Yes I know another storm, how cliché of me. I did give you a tiny bit of fluff there until Tamaki ruined it.  
****There will be more soon, don't fret my readers!  
****Oh, I also am sorry I took a while to update. I am pretty busy and I had a youth retreat this weekend so I am half dead while writing this… Heh..  
****By the way REVIEW  
****REVIEW PEOPLE  
****The amount of people reviewing has dropped a bit. So please… even a tiny little review would make me so happy!  
****Just a "This is good" or a "This is a mediocre story" would work.  
****I see all you people who just alert.  
****I know it is hard to review I had the disease too where you just alerted. But review power the generator for my computer so review so I can wright.  
****Heehee.**

**But, please R-E-V-I-E-W!**

**~Blue **


	5. Chapter 5

_Everything to Gain  
Chapter 5: Thunder and a Question_

**Yay! We hit thirty reviews! Thanks people!  
This chapter did not want to be written, so if you see any mistakes please tell me!  
I am taking the wonderful Swahili's advice and now have text-marking tools for Kyouya's thoughts.  
**_Italics underlined = His conscience  
__Regular italics = His normal, Kyouya-like thoughts._

**By the way, the point of view switches from Haruhi to Kyouya in this chapter. So don't be confused!  
I really hope you enjoy it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ouran, but I am asking for it for my birthday! Maybe then I can change the cannon pairing to KyoHaru.. Ah, that'll be the day.

* * *

  
**

Haruhi watched as Kyouya quickly disappeared into the hallway, snapping open his phone.

She didn't move, still in shock from moments before.

The feeling of his pleasantly cool arms wrapped around her, his breath light on her skin, it still lingered with her.

Haruhi turned towards the sink, glancing at the water still running on the soapy dishes, exactly where she had left them moments ago.

His words replayed in her head, "You really should try to relax Haruhi. Trying to do meaningless tasks while injured is not good for you".

_It's not like I really would have hurt myself washing dishes. But... Kyouya-sempai was worried about me? How strange... It's not as if it isn't appreciated, it just seems out of character for him to act this way. _

She turned the faucet off, watching the water slowly drain away.

Hearing what sounded like a very irritated Kyouya, she picked up her crutches and shuffled over to the hallway, "Uh... Kyouya-sempai? Is there something wrong?"

He was leaning against the wall glaring at the phone in his hand. She squinted, trying to make out what was on the screen.

"Was Tamaki-sempai being an idiot again?"

Kyouya then glanced up at her, his eyes snapped back into focus and he pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose.

He rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall. "Yes, he was going on again about how he wanted to come over here because he thought I would sell you to the black market or something."

She saw a small smile pass his lips, "But, I still refused him. I doubted you would have wanted him here."

"Well, that's right. He is very annoying sometimes, no, he really is annoying all the time.. It just drains my energy. How do you even put up with him and keep your cool?" She took a small step towards him, balancing on one crutch.

Kyouya's eyes flickered towards the window and then back at her. "I really can't say. He does take a lot out of me, seeing as he is who he is, I just have had a while to get used to it."

"I guess that makes sense." She turned around, hobbling towards the window.

"It looks pretty dark out there…" She turned back to him, her eyes wide. "You don't think it will-"

_**CRASH**_

Haruhi jumped into the air with a squeal, her body shook. She landed on her hurt ankle and instantly fell.

She let out a hiss of air and crouched over, pain and fear coursed through her body.

Suddenly cool arms wrapped around her, "Haruhi… Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

She turned around and buried her face in his chest wiping away her tears in his shirt.

"Kyou-"_** BANG **_"-ya!"

Haruhi held on to him even tighter, resisting the almost overpowering urge she had to jump and run to the nearest closet.

Kyouya noticed and whispered into her ear, "It's alright Haruhi, it will all be alright."

She didn't move, she just sat there pressing herself against him and trying her hardest to ignore the thunder that was crashing around her.

_**BOOM**_

Haruhi didn't flinch. Her fear seemed to have evaporated.

"K-kyouya?" She said quietly.

She heard a sharp intake of breath, "Yes, Haruhi?"

"Thank you. I am not afraid right now."

"That is good."

The thunder had subsided. But it poured, the roof creaked and the view through the window was obscured by the heavy sheets of rain that fell.

Slowly, Kyouya pulled his arms away from her and stood up.

He offered her his hand and carefully led her over to the couch.

"Is your ankle still okay? You must have put pressure on it when the first bout of thunder hit."

Haruhi gingerly tested her foot against the floor.

"The pain isn't any worse than it was before."

"But it still hurts." Kyouya said.

"Yeah it-"

The door suddenly flew open and a flustered Ranka flew in.

"HARUHI! Are you okay? I heard the thunderstorm while I was at work and I quickly drove home! I know how much you're afraid of them and I said that-"

"Dad, I am fine. Kyouya-sempai was here with me."

Ranka glanced at Kyouya sitting next to her. "Of course he was, he is such an amazing young man, and he is absolutely adorable!" The okama twirled around and tackled Haruhi.

Kyouya flashed a smile, "Thank you." He glanced at his watch. "Though, I guess I must be going, it is getting late. Thank you for having me and I will see you at school tomorrow, Haruhi."

"Oh… Bye, see you tomorrow!"

* * *

With that Kyouya walked out the door and down the stairs to where his driver was waiting.

It was still pouring outside, the rain coming down in sheets made it almost impossible to see. Kyouya pulled an umbrella out of his bag and walked to the limo.

_I suppose that was quite a worthwhile visit. It might have only gone better if that idiot Tamaki hadn't called. Though, nothing can be perfect._

_What are you going to do about your feelings for her, hmm?_

_Well, these feelings are probably some teenage hormone that I cannot control and hopefully they will go away._

_You know that isn't true._

_Well, I just don't know. I did act quite boldly and the only reason she didn't turn away is probably because of her fear of storms. Tamaki would explode if he found out about this, Hikaru might too. He does seem to have an attachment to her. _

_So you are giving up so easily?_

_I never thought about giving up, did I? I was just simply stating the facts. Now that I think of it, this could be a pretty intriguing game to play._

_A game? You sound like the twins._

_While that is true, it is similar to a game. I must maneuver my enemies and win. Very interesting.._

The car pulled to a halt outside of the Ootori estate, the door opened and Kyouya wiped all the emotion off his face and replaced it with his mask.

* * *

As the final bell for the day rung, Kyouya quickly stood up and left. Maneuvering around the crowd of people he briskly walked down the hall. He looked around, peering over the heads of other third-years.

_Strange… Tamaki isn't here, he is always here. He makes such a big deal about us walking to the club together it is impossible for him to forget. Very, very odd. I actually had something important to tell him this time. _ _I might as well go pick up the papers for today now, seeing as I don't have to accompany him._

With that he walked towards Ouran's main office. He found himself walking though the first-year's building, past hallway 1-A.

_Now that is even stranger, Hikaru and Kaoru should still be here, shouldn't they? Oh god. They are up to something, aren't they?_

Kyouya swiftly walked to the office and picked up a stack of papers he needed to get signed.

He cut across the main grounds to get to the South Building.

Glancing at his watch he saw that it was already 4:24.

_I am going to be late for my meeting with Kassnoda._

As he neared the top of the stairs he glanced at his watch once more, 4:27.

_Not late, but too close too late for comfort…_

He opened the door to find Hikaru and Kaoru staring at him with a mixture of glee and anticipation, but it soon turned to fear.

Before Kyouya could react he felt a bucket of water crash down on him, followed by dry, powdery flour…

The room was silent.

He saw the twins and Tamaki cowering behind a chair.

_THOSE IDIOTS! _

He glared at them with his mightiest wrath and felt the room drop about 20 degrees.

"What is the meaning of this?" He said slowly pushing his anger into the words.

The three of them turned pale and backed up slowly.

"W-we are sorry, Kyouya-sempai! It was meant for Bossa-Nova!" Tamaki ran off to the back room, trying to avoid the Demon Lord's glare.

"Then why is it on me? Are you not smart enough to distinguish between us?"

"We had it set up already! We didn't know you were coming in as well! We thought you were here already! Sorry!"

"Fine, just tell Kassanoda that we will have to reschedule his appointment when he comes here and clean up this mess."

Kyouya turned away from them and walked towards the back room."Tamaki! Get me the spare uniform! Now!"

Tamaki fidgeted, still pale from before. "Uh, Kyouya? You used the spare uniform yesterday so we don't have it…"

"Great… Find me something else to wear then. I am going to go take a shower."

Walking into the bathroom he was glad he had allowed Tamaki to install a shower a few months ago.

_At least he is good for something._

Kyouya peeled off his now ruined clothing and stepped into the shower.

_I must think of some type of revenge for this. What would hurt them most? Physical attack leaves scars, so that is out. Something mental then. _

_If we were just talking about Tamaki, I could ignore him. But, that won't work on the twins._

_Let's think Kyouya. What is everyone in the club attached to? Even you._

_I really can't think of anything. They all have different interests so it would be hard to find a singular thing to mess with._

_Really, you haven't figured it out yet?_

_Am I arguing with my own mind? Just tell me what it is._

_It isn't a 'what', it is a who._

_A who…_

_Haruhi.._

_And what can I do to her that would make them unhappy but not me? Seeing as I can't and don't want to harm her for this revenge._

_You wouldn't have to harm her. You might actually make her happy._

Kyouya's eyes opened wide and his face now had a devilish grin.

He had his plan and it was perfect.

Kyouya shut off the water and stepped out of the shower.

Running through the details and the calculations of his plan he couldn't help but smile again.

_This is going to work so well._

Tamaki had left a pile of clothes at the door.

Kyouya sighed in relief; he had been brought normal clothes. He was afraid Tamaki would have brought him something from one of their many cosplays, but luckily he was wrong.

After slipping on a white button up shirt and some jeans on, he threw his uniform in the trash.

_It's not like I don't have ten others at home._

Walking out of the bathroom he saw Haruhi off in the 'kitchen' making more instant coffee for the now stoic Hikaru and Kaoru.

Kyouya quickly walked over to her.

She glanced at him, "Glad to see you clean, sempai. I really can't believe Hikaru and Kaoru did that.. Though, you should have seen Tamaki-sempai frantically running around trying to find you clothes. It was pretty funny."

"I am sure it was."

Kyouya looked back behind him. Tamaki had collapsed next to Hikaru and Kaoru.

_Just as I thought. So far, so good._

Haruhi picked up the plate of coffee and brought it over to the three of them.

They seemed to break out of their trance long enough to drink it. But, they snapped right back into it as soon as they saw Kyouya's face looming above them.

_Now is the time. Do it._

He turned around.

"So Haruhi, would you like to go on a date with me?"

* * *

**Heheh. Do you like it? Are you dying to read more?  
Well, you'll have to wait. I still haven't had time during the week to update, but I will try.  
But, don't get your hopes up.. .  
Did anyone notice the drop in honorific at a few points?  
For some reason this chapter did not want to be written..  
Every time I started writing someone interrupted me.  
And to top it off one of my friends introduced me to Fruits Basket and I was watching that non-stop for a while.  
My sister had to shut off the TV and forced me to write.. It was sad.  
As I have said before:  
REVIEW PEOPLE  
The reviews really make me happy and they pressure me to update faster.  
Just a tiny little review will work. (Although the long ones are awesome!)  
So go, go, go!  
~Blue**


	6. Chapter 6

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 6: Response

**Yes, I am updating.. on a Thursday!  
How great, huh?  
Especially with the cliff hanger I left you on  
Thanks for all your reviews, they powered me through the tough parts of this chapter!  
Check out the Author's Note at the bottom of the page when you are done. I have a little request-thingy you can put in for what you want to happen.  
If there is anything incorrect in this chapter just tell me and I will fix it!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Ouran… But I do want it… Really, really badly.**

* * *

"So Haruhi, would you like to go on a date with me?"

Three loud crashes rang out and the remains of the coffee cups lay untouched on the floor.

There was a collective gasp from the twins and Tamaki.

Haruhi leaned against the couch, barely noticing when the cups shattered.

She looked deep in thought and her eyes occasionally flickered up to him.

Kyouya felt his heart beat faster; the silence in the room seemed to be crushing him, weighing him down until he felt he couldn't move.

He glanced over at Tamaki and the twins; they all looked frozen stiff, expressions of shock still plastered on their faces.

"Sure, I would like that." Haruhi had a smile on her face, looking at him.

Kyouya let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and then broke out into a smile himself.

_She said yes._

_She actually agreed._

_Why are you so surprised? You already knew she would say yes._

"Wh-aa?"

The noise had come from Tamaki who was currently spiraling into a volcano of defeat and fear. Meanwhile, Hikaru's face was bright red, his fists were clenched and his mouth moved rapidly, as if having an internal battle with himself. Kaoru's arm rested on his brother's an expression of worry across his face.

Kyouya noticed that Haruhi was also watching the scene unfolding in front of them.

He leaned in closer to her to whisper, "You really should get going. They are going to snap out of their little reverie soon and you know they are only going to bother you after that."

Seeing her face flush red and the way she stiffened when he was this close to her, only made his grin grow bigger.

Haruhi took a step backwards, leaning on her crutches.

"I guess you are right on that one. I am surprised they even kept their mouths closed this long, I better go." Her voice sounded a little bit rushed.

Kyouya opened the door for her and watched as she left the building.

"KYOUYA! THIS IS INCEST I SAY, INCEST! HOW DARE YOU! HAVE YOU NO SOLIDARITY? " Tamaki had broken out of his trance-like state first and was now standing on top of a chair, screaming his 'friend'.

"And why do you care? It is not like it affects you in any way.." Kyouya replied, a glare coming off of his glasses.

"Why do I care? Because she is my daughter and I cant have anyone-"

"She isn't your daughter Tamaki, you know that."

"She- She… I guess she isn't."

Kyouya turned around, leaving Tamaki to his own realizations when someone grabbed him by his shirt.

"KYOUYA-SEMPAI! WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? WHAT ARE YOU USING HER FOR?"

He was face to face with a very angry Hikaru who he promptly pushed off of him.

_He must have some serious feelings for her to be this angry.._

_Nothing you can't handle._

_True._

"Hikaru, don't ever grab me like that again. Do you really believe that I am using her? Is there ever the possibility that there might not be anything material to gain from this for me?"

"Like you would ever do that. We all know you too well. Haruhi is just too innocent to see that you are going to use her in some way to make profit for yourself." He spat.

"Then I guess you don't really know me at all Hikaru. Let's stop this petty fight for right now and you can go home and cool down."

With that, Kyouya walked away, out the door, out of the South Wing and into the Ouran Gardens.

He plopped himself down on a bench.

_That was about what you expected._

_Yes…_

…

_Am I using her? I don't think so. I the idea of going on a date with Haruhi does appeal to me._

_Then you aren't._

_But, what if I am? What if I am that horrible person Hikaru said I am, I have been putting up that cold façade for so long.. What if that is what I truly have become?_

_The fact that you are worried about this means you are not that horrible of a person._

_Does Haruhi see me as that?_

_I wonder.._

* * *

Haruhi Fujioka sat in her room, trying to focus on homework.

_The first term is a one equals three, find the…._

_Oh, this is no use I really can't focus._

_Urrg, Kyouya-sempai… _

_He actually asked me out on a date…_

_In front of the Host Club._

_Why?_

_Arrahhh, why must this be so confusing!_

_Maybe it was a 'friends' date?_

…

_There isn't such a thing as a 'friends' date… God I am an idiot.._

_So, does this mean he thinks of me as more than a friend?_

_Do I think of him as more than a friend?_

…

…_._

…_.._

_Do I?_

_Can I see him as anything more?_

_He really is a nice person, no matter how hard he tries to come off otherwise._

_He is smart, and attractive.. _

_But so is everyone else in the Host Club_

_And of all the people I never thought he would be interested in me._

* * *

"Kyouya?" A wavering voice called out, snapping him out of his own thoughts.

"Yes?"

Tamaki walked up to him, his eyes lowered.

He sat down next to Kyouya with a sigh.

The usually over-eccentric blond buried his face in his hands. "I-I know I am not Haruhi's father.. But, how can I explain these feelings? I want to protect her whenever anyone is around her and I think she is adorable.. I just don't know."

_So he is finally realizing it, eh? _

"I can't help you with this, Tamaki. You have to figure this out on your own. No one can tell you what you are feeling but you. Just sit and think for a while, that'll help."

For some reason the thought of being around Tamaki, even in this pathetic state of his, irritated Kyouya.

He eventually got up from the bench and walked towards the main entrance to the school where his driver was waiting for him.

Kyouya sighed once more as he sat on the leather seats in the all too empty feeling limousine.

He pulled out his laptop and started tapping away on it, trying to absorb himself in work.

Eventually the car pulled up in front of the Ootori estate.

Kyouya got out and walked in navigating instinctively through the many hallways to his room.

He shut the door and sat down at his desk; pulling a few textbooks out of the drawer he started working.

After what could have only been fifteen minutes or so the door to his room flew open and his sister strode in.

"Kyouya!"

"Fuyumi? What are you doing here?"

"What?" She pouted, "Can't I visit my youngest brother every once and a while? Is that a crime?"

"It isn't. But interrupting me when I am working is."

"But, Kyo-kun… You're always working and you know how boring it is at my home sometimes. Father never lets me come over here at all."

"Then why are you here. Don't you have a husband now?"

"Kyouya… Don't be so mean to be, I just came over for some sibling bonding time and you treat me like I am a pest.." She pouted once more, her eyes filling with fake tears.

"It is fine. Just don't mess with anything, Fuyumi." Kyouya had continued working, already writing.

"I swear there is something wrong with those drawers! Nothing goes back in!"

She had started to move over to the dresser.

"You know what happened last time you took the clothes out, you threw them all over my room and almost made the maids faint from the sight. Just don't." He slipped his glasses farther up on his nose.

"I won't if you have tea with me."

"I really can't, I have work."

"Please? You know, I could call Tamaki over here to have tea with me instead."

"Fine, I'm coming. Just don't call him over; I think I get a headache just looking at him sometimes."

Kyouya snapped close his notebook and followed Fuyumi to the tea room.

As he walked in he noticed tea and various snacks had already been set out.

"You planned this?" He asked, glancing towards his seemingly innocent sister.

She giggled, "Perhaps. Don't put it past me; I am an Ootori after all."

As they sat down, Fuyumi began to tell him about all the things she had done in her new home and about her husband.

After much of this talk the conversation eventually turned towards Kyouya himself.

"So Kyo-kun, how is school?"

"The same as it has always been."

"Has the Host Club been up to much lately?"

"Same as ever. But, we did add a new member to our group."

"A new host? How could you have not told me this earlier?" She leaned forward, her eyes lighting up.

"You haven't been over in a while."

"So what is he like? What type is he? How did he join? I thought you already had all the members you needed."

Kyouya smirked, "Actually the Host is Haruhi Fujioka, the scholarship student Ouran accepted this year. He is actually a she."

He began to tell the story of how Haruhi had made her way into the Host Club, expressing over and over again about how vital it was that Fuyumi didn't tell anyone.

"Oh, that is so adorable! So none of her clients figured it out yet? That is strange! I would really like to meet her, Kyouya! You should invite her over here one time."

"Hmm. Perhaps I should."

_Not that she would ever want to come over here or be Fuyumi's 'commoner dress-up doll'. That will probably be worse that what the twins put her through._

_Have you thought of what you are doing for your date yet, Kyouya?_

…

_I guess not. The great Ootori Kyouya, unprepared for something, what a shame._

_I truly cannot think of anything. She is a very odd, but intriguing person. She is so different from all the other mindless girls we entertain daily at the Host Club. _

"Kyouya?"

He snapped out of his own thoughts, "Sorry, Fuyumi. I was just deep in thought for a moment there. Now what were you saying?"

"It's very odd for you to space out, Kyouya. I don't think it has happened in a long time, is there something wrong?"

The edges of his lips turned up into a small smile, "Actually, nothing is wrong."

"Oh, I see that look in your eyes! You have a crush! This is so kawaii, Kyo-chan! So who is it? Someone has finally caught your eye, someone from your school, perhaps?"

He rolled his eyes at her over-excited antics.

"I think you are seeing too much into things. I can assure you I don't have a 'crush' on any one of the airheaded girls at our school."

"It's no good to lie to me, Kyouya. You know I can see right through it! I bet you she is at your school and if you like her she is no airheaded girl." Fuyumi smiled happily.

"You should tell her how you feel, I bet she has feelings for you too Kyo-chan! You can't just hole up inside that cold mask you wear, it doesn't work that way! I really think that-"

"Fuyumi."

Yoshio Ootori had walked into the room, bringing the cold, manipulative air he had always had with him.

She looked down, "Hello Father, how are you?"

"Why are you here? You have a husband to attend to Fuyumi, please return to the Shido house."

"Yes, Father. Sorry for disturbing you." She quickly walked out of the room, throwing a glance back at her younger brother only when out of her father's sight.

Kyouya quickly exited the room as well, retreating back to his own.

HE sat back down at his desk. After an hour or so he had, finished all the work there was to be done.

Laying awake in his bed, thoughts bounced around in his head for what seemed like hours, but he eventually fell asleep.

* * *

**Oh, I know. Unexciting ending to a chapter…  
But, the date is going to take up most of the next chapter so I couldn't really put it in here.  
_On the subject of the date, where do you think Kyouya and Haruhi should go or what should they do?_  
_Leave an answer in a review and I will choose one and give you credit at the beginning of the chapter!_  
Heehee, incentive for reviews and ideas! A great combination!  
Anyways, you really should review people!  
I feel that I have to update soon when I have more people counting on me. :D  
I will update on Sunday, because Saturday is my birthday! So I am relaxing the entire day!  
Well, thanks to all of you who are still reading this story! You all make me very happy!**

**~Blue  
**


	7. Chapter 7

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 7: The Date

**Hello everyone!  
Here it is, the date!  
Wondering what it will be?  
Well get ready, I think it is perfect!  
Thank you to Flamemoon, Halograce, and Bloodyhell95 for helping me get the idea!  
If there is anything wrong with the chapter just tell me and I will try to fix it.  
POV switches here so don't get confused.  
Disclaimer: I still don't own Ouran...**

* * *

It seemed like a normal Friday at the Host Club.

The girls were squealing at the incestuous antics of the twins, Tamaki was as flirtatious and 'princely' as ever, Honey happily ate cake while Mori watched over him, Haruhi smiled her 'natural type' smile, and the Shadow King typed away on his laptop.

But, underneath their rehearsed antics, there was tension hanging in the air.

Hikaru clenched his hands as his eyes met Kyouya's, causing Kaoru to have to pull him back into their act of 'brotherly love'.

Tamaki faltered in his princely act once when he saw Haruhi glance Kyouya's way.

Eventually, hosting hours ended and the ladies left.

Silence weighed down in the room as tea sets were picked up and moved to the kitchen.

Haruhi walked with a slight limp, seeing as it was her first day without the crutches.

She carried a tea tray, with only a few empty cups left on it.

Hikaru walked by and accidentally fell bumped into her, causing it all to fall to the ground with a loud crash.

He jumped and leaned over her. "Oh, sorry! Are you hurt Haruhi?"

She sighed, "I am fine."

Haruhi was in the process of bending over to pick up the shattered pieces when a hand pulled her back up.

Kyouya stepped ahead of her and quickly brushed the pieces into a pan with a broom.

"Hikaru, you really should be more careful." Kyouya said, walking towards the trashcan. "This would be the second tea set broken, since you all had dropped your cups yesterday"

"Don't blame this on me, I slipped! It was an accident!"

"An accident that was your fault, you should apologize to Haruhi. You could have hurt her with your carelessness."

Hikaru took a step towards Kyouya, drawing in a deep breath.

Just as he was about to say something, Kaoru laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop Hikaru. Just stop, this is not worth fighting for." He added in a hushed voice. "It'll never work out between them; just let it be for now."

They walked towards the door and left.

"Well that was a bit of a commotion about nothing, don't you think?" Haruhi said while finishing up washing a few dishes.

"I don't think that is what he was actually mad about, Haruhi."

Kyouya turned towards the blonde figure sitting by the window. He was the only one left in the room, Honey and Mori had left the minute hosting hours had ended, claiming they had Kendo classes.

"Tamaki? You have been oddly quite today, is there something on your mind?" He sat down next to him, noticing his dejected expression.

"Eh.. Just feeling tired."

_I find that hard to believe. I bet he is still upset about yesterday, same as Hikaru. _

"Bye, Tamaki-sempai, Kyouya-sempai." Haruhi called as she walked out of the room.

He saw Tamaki's eyes linger on the place where she once was and then flit back to him.

_Perhaps he realized his own feelings. _

_So soon? I doubt it._

"Don't lie to me, baka. What is really troubling you?" He stared right at Tamaki, waiting for a response.

"Nothing.. I just…" He sat up straighter and pushed his hair out of his eyes, returning Kyouya's stare.

"I just am feeling a little sick. That's all." He stood up and began to walk to the door picking up his things.

"Bye." Tamaki turned back and smiled. "Really, everything is fine."

With that he left.

* * *

**The next day in the Fujioka residence…**

"BYE HARUHI! I'll see you later tonight!" Ranka called out as he left the house.

"Bye Dad… See you later." Haruhi plopped herself down on the couch and pulled a book off the side table.

_Well, I guess I can just read for a while. There really is nothing to do on Saturdays… I finished my homework last night and we don't need any more food, so grocery shopping is out of the question._

_I'll just relax for now. It's almost two o'clock and I haven't been bombarded by one of the Host Club members yet. I wonder what they are planning.._

After an hour or so of reading various books her phone rang.

"Hello?" She stood up. She had always had the habit of pacing when she talked on the phone; her father was driven insane by it. But it seemed to be almost instinctive for her.

"Hello, Haruhi. This is Kyouya. I was wondering if you were free to come with me today."

"Uh, sure. I really have nothing to do." She bit her bottom lip, "Where are we going?"

"I will have a car pick you up around four. I'll see you then."

"Wait! Kyouya-sempai!"

"I believe it would be best if you dropped the '-sempai' for now, Haruhi."

"Okay. You never told me where we were going."

"That is a surprise." She could almost feel him smirking over the phone.

Haruhi heard a click as he hung up.

"Kyouya-sem… I mean, Kyouya is…" She swallowed, his name without the honorific felt bare, it was hard for her to say.

_For some reason I can't really picture him with out the sempai attached.. It is so odd to drop it._

"Kyouya.. Kyouya." She repeated his name, testing it out.

"Kyouya."

_I guess it isn't that difficult to say. Still not natural though._

Haruhi glanced at the clock, it was 3:00.

_Well, I have an hour left. I might as well get ready now._

She walked into her room and looked through her closet, full of girly outfits her father had bought and then forced on her.

_I wonder where we are going… _

_I suppose this is the date he was talking about.. _

_I think it'll be fun to actually talk to him. He is a pretty nice person._

After digging through the piles of frilly dresses that she would never voluntarily wear, she found a light blue striped shirt and a pair of jeans.

She put in her contacts, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair.

Her eyes drifted over to the clock.

_3:50? How did that take so much time! I didn't even have lunch yet I am sure Kyouya-sempa.. I mean Kyouya will be on time, he always is. I guess I can just wait till I get home or hope that wherever he is taking me has food.._

At exactly 4:00 the doorbell rang.

Outside stood a tall man dressed in a suit and sunglasses. "Hello Fujioka-san, my name is Tachibana. I will be driving you today."

"Oh, thank you."

She walked down the stairs of her apartment building to find a limo parked on the street, children and adults alike were staring at her as she got in.

"Idiot… He just had to bring the limo to get on my nerves didn't he.." She muttered.

_Where is Kyouya-se- I mean Kyouya? _

The limo was empty except for a small note placed on the seat.

_Haruhi,_

_I hope you enjoy your ride. I will meet you there._

_Kyouya_

She could practically see him grinning through the paper.

"Damn rich bastard.." She said under her breath.

"Tachibana?"

The divider came down between the back and front.

"Yes Fujioka-san, is there anything wrong?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong. I just was wondering if you could tell me our destination." Haruhi smiled.

"I am sorry but Ootori-sama instructed me not to do so. But I can tell you that our ride will last thirty minutes."

Her smile evaporated.

"Thank you.." She forced out.

_Of course he would tell him to tell me that… Sometimes he is more annoying than Tamaki._

Haruhi looked out the window, seeing the buildings go by.

_Well, we are going out of the main block of the city. I guess that is sort of a clue. _

Eventually the majority of the buildings faded away.

The car slowed to a stop and she jumped out of her seat and opened the door.

There was a small bamboo paneled building surrounded by trees.

She looked over at Tachibana, "Ootori-sama is waiting for you." He said, gesturing towards the door.

She opened the door and found herself in a long narrow hallway with only one other door.

Haruhi opened the second door and walked out.

She was in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen.

Trees reached up towards the sky, the leaves were a deep red and filled the ground as well as the branches with their crimson color.

The soft flowing of a creek was heard in the background and a bridge spanned over a small pond.

As she crossed it she saw a meadow up ahead, the bright green grass seemed to glow in contrast to the leaves around it.

Kyouya sat on a thick blanket that was spread across the ground covered with different food dishes.

He looked up at her, "Haruhi, you finally arrived."

She sat down, noticing how soft the blanket was that they were sitting on. "Thank you for inviting me. This place is so beautiful."

"It is isn't it? It is the Ootori Gardens, they were only recently built, and this is really the best season for them I think. The red leaves make the place look dreamlike."

_Did he just smile? I really haven't seen him do that quite often. Its.. nice._

Haruhi picked up a plate of ootoro and placed it near her. She took a bite and relished in its fresh taste.

"Mmm, this is very good." She said, finishing it off.

She looked up to see Kyouya staring at her, "What?"

He laughed, out loud. Kyouya Ootori was laughing.

_I definitely haven't seen this.. He is laughing! Actually laughing_

Then Haruhi started to laugh, their laughter grew until they were both bent over gasping for breath.

"I.." He breathed in, "I don't think I have ever laughed that hard."

She looked up at him, "Neither have I. It was nice to see you let your guard down for a little bit Kyouya. I liked it. You really should try to do it more often."

They each picked one of the many foods sitting on the blanket in front of them.

Haruhi popped a strawberry in her mouth. "I really don't see why you aren't more open with people. It's not like they would dislike you when you are yourself, you try to act cold and manipulative all the time. Why?"

He stared at her, his onyx eyes seemed to look right through her.

"Because I have more of an advantage if I am this way. None of the other hosts have as much of an authority as I. My manipulative and dark façade is vital to the way I interact with others. Also, it would be hard for my father to think of me as head of the Ootori Group if I was weak like Tamaki and showed my feelings so openly. It is not a matter of choice to me now."

Her eyes met his, "I think you are wrong. It isn't weak to show your feelings; in fact it makes you much stronger. You are almost hiding behind this pretense of yours on the idea that your father might not accept you or that people wouldn't listen to you. I think that is truly weak."

A look of what could be called surprise flashed across his face and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

She could hear the slight bubbling of the creak again.

"You are a very interesting young woman, Haruhi." Kyouya said.

He stood up and his hand reached down to her, "Would you like to take a walk?"

"Sure." She took his hand and pulled herself up.

The two of them walked through a small path where the trees filled the sky and their leaves floated down like feathers. The grass was green and budding flowers grew.

"I still cannot believe that your family made this." Haruhi said, her voice filled with wonder as she raised a hand and gestured their surroundings.

"They did. It is astonishing what man can do these days. I guess this place would count as a healing facility too, but it is specifically for the Ootori family and friends. It is very relaxing especially after work." He continued down the path, seeming to have a destination in mind as he took purposeful turns.

It was then Haruhi noticed that his hand still held hers, neither of them had let go since they had begun walking.

_How would I not notice that? Does he notice?_

"Uh, Kyouya I-"Her voice cut itself off as he stopped abruptly.

In front of them was a small waterfall. The water flowed down the rocks; red leaves from the trees were carried with it, looking almost like petals.

The waterfall poured into a small pond that let into the creek she had seen earlier.

The water was flat and reflected the sky above it.

"I usually come here to think. It is my favorite part of the gardens." Kyouya said his voice soft.

"I can see why you like it." She replied her voice almost a whisper.

A cool breeze swept over the garden, moving the water in soft ripples.

They both turned and watched as the sun began to set they could see it merging with the horizon, slowly turning the entire sky gold.

"I guess we should go now." Kyouya's voice broke the silence. "It will be getting dark soon."

"It will."

They walked back in a comfortable silence, a smile on each of their faces.

* * *

As they reached the limo Haruhi turned around towards him.

"Thank you for inviting me, Kyouya" She smiled, "I had a lot of fun."

"I had fun as well, Haruhi. Perhaps we can do something like this again."

"Sure, I would like that."

He let go of her hand and opened the door to the car for her.

He could still feel the heat of her small hand in his as the limo drove away and that smile she had given him seemed to be etched in his brain.

_I think I would like that too Haruhi. I would like a lot..

* * *

_

There was no way this was happening.

_No way in hell.. _Hikaru thought, feeling the edge of his nails bite into his palms.

The whole Host Club, minus Haruhi and Kyouya, were hunched around a television showing a live feed from the Ootori Gardens.

Honey and Mori had made a trip there Friday afternoon to plant cameras around the place when they heard that Kyouya was taking Haruhi there.

They had all thought it would be hilarious to watch the date crash and burn with the insensitive Haruhi and cold, uncaring Kyouya, but it went quite different than they expected.

They had laughed, talked, and even ended up holding hands at the end… This was going much too well.

Honey looked up to Mori while clutching his Usa-chan, "Takashi? What is the probability that Haru-chan and Kyo-chan could end up falling in love?"

A noise that was halfway scream and halfway howl came from their very own blonde headed prince.

"NOOO! I WILL NOT LET MOTHER STEAL AWAY MY DAUGHTER! THIS IS INCEST! INCESSSTTT!" Tamaki spun around, probably imagining thousands of horror scenes with Haruhi and Kyouya.

"Did you hear what she called him? She called him 'Kyouya'! SHE DROPPED THE HONORIFIC! SHE DROPPED IT!" He continued on his rant telling about why the world would most certainly end because of this dropped honorific and why Haruhi was going to die because of mother's deceit.

Mori then grabbed him by the shoulders, "Stop. You are making a fool out of yourself. Think."

Tamaki quickly retreated to his corner of woe murmuring that Mori was the fourth Demon Lord.

The room grew silent, "What do you think we should do Hika-chan?" asked Honey.

"I- I don't know.. We need to find out what Kyouya-sempai is using her for first and then confront him about it. We can't have him hurt Haruhi."

"But Hika-chan, it looked like they were having fun. He wasn't hurting Haru-chan.." Honey's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, that's what it looked like but I bet Kyouya-sempai had all of that planned and that he is using her for something." Hikaru felt something flame up inside of him, he wanted to hurt Kyouya.

"YES! That is the only explanation! WE MUST STOP THE EVIL MOTHER!" Tamaki called out, now standing on a chair.

_There is no way I will let this happen. Kyouya-sempai has to go down.

* * *

_

**Oooh, scary Hikaru…  
But the date scene was cute..  
Sorry if they seemed a little OOC but they are changing each other little by little.  
I think the setting was nice, I love the elegance of Japanese Gardens and I googled pictures of them and made one of them that I loved my inspiration for the Ootori Gardens.  
Heehee, you could probably find the one I am talking about if you Google it.  
Review people! They make me feel obliged to write more!**

**~Blue**


	8. Chapter 8

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 8: Dresses and Decisions

**Hey everyone!  
Time for a new chapter!  
If you see any mistakes in it let me know!  
Are you ready?  
Because here it comes:**

* * *

Kyouya Ootori lay sprawled out on his couch, staring at the screen in front of him.

It was filled with pictures showing a short blonde and a tall black haired man planting cameras around the Ootori Gardens.

_Hmm. So that's where Honey and Mori went Friday… How did I not find this information sooner?_

_This means that the entire Host Club probably watched Haruhi and I on our date... This could definitely complicate things._

_Seeing as Hikaru yells at me every chance he gets and has no chance whatsoever of keeping his temper, I should watch my back._

_They could be up to something. _

_I would guess that Kaoru wouldn't stop him either, he may not show it, but he does have feelings for her as well. No matter how hard he tries to stop it. _

_And then there is Tamaki. Usually I would doubt that he would take any action against me, but, he could have realized his feelings already and is on the same quest as Hikaru._

_Most likely, they will be trying to stop this for 'the good of Haruhi'. _

_I doubt these will be hard problems to solve._

_Eh, it depends on a few things though. There are still many ways this game could change._

He sat up and ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

Pulling his laptop closer he scanned through the Ouran Academy surveillance films, clicking on the Host Club room's videos from Saturday.

Sure enough, there was the five of them, all huddled around a monitor watching Haruhi and himself.

_Great…_.

* * *

Haruhi walked around her small home and picked up dirty dishes and clothing.

She had been on a cleaning spree all morning since she had found herself with nothing to do.

Her father was once again working at the bar all day and she was bordering on the edge of boredom.

She stuffed a bundle of clothes into the washer and moved to the kitchen sink where a pile of dirty dishes sat.

The repetitive washing of dish after dish left her with time to think, which was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

She sighed, her thoughts kept returning to the one place she didn't want them to be.

Kyouya

_I don't see why I am so worked up about this. We had a good time, that's it._

_There is nothing else other than that; I should stop thinking about it._

_Kyouya probably had his own reasons for it, his own agenda. I should really just drop the subject now._

_But what could his reasoning be behind this?_

_There were no business deals, no transactions. Nothing that would make it worthwhile for him. _

_So why would he bother?_

Haruhi turned off the tap and placed the stack of now clean dishes into the cabinet.

_Ugh.. Why does this have to happen? Why can't my life be absolutely normal? Then I wouldn't have to worry about any of this and I could just study and follow in my mother's footsteps._

_It would be so much easier._

Haruhi continued the day doing absolutely nothing; she napped and watched television, for once feeling perfectly content with her own laziness.

* * *

The next morning she woke up as usual and made breakfast for her and her father.

Haruhi was out the door by seven and was walking down the stairs when she noticed it.

Once again, a large black limo sat outside her apartment building.

It was early enough that there were no bystanders yet, but she knew they would eventually come if she left the car sitting there for long enough.

She walked over to it and the door opened for her.

Expecting to see Tamaki or the twins she braced herself.

Surprise showed on her face when inside sat the Shadow King himself.

"Hello Haruhi." Kyouya said, his voice as smooth as glass.

"Oh, Kyouya."

"What? Disappointed to see me?" He slid over a few seats, making room for Haruhi to sit.

"No, not at all. I was actually expecting Tamaki-sempai or the twins to come abduct me and annoy me on the way to Ouran. So I guess it is a good thing it is you."

The corners of his lips moved up slightly, "I guess it is."

"Is there any reason in particular that you decided to give me a ride this morning?" She turned towards him and watched as his eyes flickered upward for a second before he answered.

"My driver had to take a detour and we were close to your house. I also decided that it would be best for you to not strain your ankle walking to and from school when it is still recovering."

The car then hit a bump, causing the back seat to jerk.

They were both pushed towards the center of the car, causing their hands to brush against each other's.

"I am very sorry, Ootori-sama!" The driver apologized, a look of panic on his face.

"It is fine. You are forgiven." Kyouya replied, staring out the window.

"Haruhi, isn't your birthday coming up?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah I guess it is. It's this Friday."

"Hmm, have you told any of the other Hosts?" Kyouya turned towards her, she could see him working out a plan in his mind.

"Uh.. No, I just thought they would make a big fuss about it so I didn't tell them." She looked away, trying to avoid his scrutinizing stare.

"Interesting." He replied.

By this time they had arrived at the gates of Ouran Academy.

_Wow.. I have never come through the formal entrance before. It's quite… over the top._

Large golden gates surrounded the school building; the clock tower seemed even more intimidating and large from this point as it towered high above the school.

It rang out announcing the fact that it was now 7:30 and that classes would begin soon.

A large fountain was in the middle of the road, pouring water in every direction, it was elegantly carved with all sorts of creatures and symbols.

_I wonder how much that cost…_

After driving past much elegant shrubbery and statues, the car arrived at the main entrance to the school.

"Thank you for the ride Kyouya." She said with a slight smile.

"You're welcome, Haruhi" He said as the door opened and they climbed out.

Haruhi failed to notice the expressions on her fellow Hosts faces as they walked over to the two of them.

Hikaru and Kaoru quickly attached themselves to her, talking and wrapping their arms around her while completely in sync.

Tamaki engaged himself in a conversation with Kyouya, asking for advice about how he should go about with turning Antoinette into the perfect ball catching dog.

But, he was swiftly cast aside with a glare and fell into his corner of woe.

To Haruhi, it seemed that nothing had changed and that everything was exactly the same as it was last week and the weeks before that.

_It's not like one day would mess with the balance of the universe or something. Hah, I really need to stop thinking that my actions could really get to them at all._

* * *

But soon, classes were over and she made her way to Music Room #3.

Haruhi slipped through the door and saw no one.

_Oh god.. What are they planning? There is no way this room is actually empty._

As if on cue, the twins popped out of what seemed to be nowhere and dragged her to the back room.

"Hey! Let me go!" She screamed, struggling in their grasps.

"Nuh uh! We have to fit you for your dress!" They said in unison, pulling out a measuring tape with identical mischievous grins.

"What dress?"

"We are having a Masquerade Ball tomorrow and we can't miss this opportunity to make you something absolutely fabulous!"

She groaned.

Now that they had a semi-concrete reason, they would never let her go.

She gave in to the poking and prodding that came with the 'fitting process".

After being jabbed with pins and almost strangled by the measuring tape she was finally set free.

Haruhi took a deep breath and leaned against the wall.

_Well, at least that is done… How do they take pleasure in that?_

Waiting in the main room, though, was a chaos of feathers, outfits, and masks that covered almost every inch of the ground.

In the middle of it was Tamaki, frantically looking through boxes of masks and throwing them into different piles.

"What the heck are you doing sempai?" Haruhi asked

"Well you see Haruhi, I have to find the perfect mask for the ball Thursday! It has to outshine all the rest and represent my unbelievable beauty!" Tamaki stood up with his hands raised in the air.

"Yes, and he decided that bringing all the masks in a ten mile radius here would me the best way to do that.." Kyouya stepped out of the shadows and rolled his eyes.

"But Kyouyaaaa, I have to find the best one!" He whined as he began to search through boxes again.

"Idiot…" Haruhi said as she picked up a mask from the large pile of 'discards' Tamaki had created.

"If this is a Host Club event, why do I have to dress as a girl?" She asked.

"Surprisingly, this isn't the Host Club's idea. It is actually a school sanctioned event that is put on every year by the Fine Arts Division. You really should check the school calendar, Haruhi. It has been on there for weeks." Kyouya pushed his glasses up.

"That still doesn't tell me why I have to go, especially in a dress.." Haruhi moved over a discarded pair of dress pants and sat down.

Hikaru leaned over her, "Well, we couldn't just let you stay at home when an opportunity like this came along. Finally an outing where we don't have to host, so you can be a girl!"

Kaoru stood next to him and continued his sentence, "We just had to make the best of this situation Haruhi. And we know that you would be absolutely perfect in this new design we made.."

Tamaki inched over to her, "Haruhi, if you don't like their dress maybe you could wear this one."

He held up a strapless pink dress with various ruffles and bows placed all over it.

"No."

"Pleaaaasee Haruhi!" He dangled the dress over her head.

"No way."

"But, Haruhi…"

"No way in hell, sempai."

Tamaki fell into his corner of woe and began to grow mushrooms.

"Not in the clubroom Tamaki." Kyouya called out, "Grow mushrooms on your own time."

The 'King' of the Host Club turned towards him, "But… Kyouya… I"

His eyes filled with tears.

"No Tamaki, now pick up this room and find a mask, it shouldn't be that hard."

He bent down picked up a box and tossed it to his blonde friend ignoring the sniffling that was coming from him.

* * *

**The next day…**

Haruhi reluctantly walked into Music Room #3.

She had been avoiding the twins all day, she knew that they would have finished her dress already and were probably dying to have her try it on.

The watch on her wrist said 4:45, only one hour and fifteen minutes till it would take place.

She couldn't think of any plausible excuse for why she should miss this 'fun event' that would please the Host Club.

So, she walked in the door.

And ran straight into two red-headed devils.

"Haruhi~!" They sung, "Come with us, your dress is ready!"

She let herself be dragged off to the deep recesses of the room where they pushed her into a bathroom with a garment bag.

Knowing what would happen if she took too long, she stripped down to her undergarments and pulled on the dress she had been given.

Turning to face the mirror with her eyes closed, she thought. _Oh god.. Lets see how bad it is._

Haruhi opened her eyes.

The dress was made of soft shimmering satin, draped in layers that ended at the bottom of the dress and let another layer begin.

It gave the illusion that she had shape, getting tighter in the middle and it puffed out at the hips.

A translucent light blue fabric covered her upper body; it had pearls weaved through it with thin white threads entwined throughout.

Two heads peeked through the door, "Haruhi.. Are you done? Oh, you look so good! This is our best work yet!"

They pulled a cart in filled with hair products and accessories, "Now time for us to do your hair!"

She turned around and glared at them, "I am already wearing your dress, why do I have to change my hair?"

Kaoru pushed her into a chair as Hikaru replied with, "Because people would know who you are and your hairstyle does not go with this look."

Haruhi sighed and closed her eyes in defeat, "You have ten minutes."

Two mischievous grins appeared on their faces.

* * *

Eventually, Hikaru and Kaoru let her go.

Her head had been poked and pulled at until her scalp was red.

But now, thanks to a wig, her hair was long and wavy, reaching down her back.

When she stepped out into the main room four pairs of eyes stared at her in complete shock.

Tamaki's face was turning red and he didn't look like he was breathing, Honey gazed at her with an excited smile, and Kyouya's face registered a small amount of shock before he regained his composure.

"Haru-chan looks great!" Squealed Honey as he ran up to hug her.

He was stopped short by Hikaru, "Sorry Honey-sempai, no touching!"

Kaoru stood next to him, " Yeah, we don't want to ruin her rare perfection before the ball even starts."

"Ha-.. Haru… Haruhi.. You, you look.." Tamaki stuttered and was completely still as his Inner Mind Theater took over.

"You look very nice, Haruhi." Kyouya complimented.

She glanced upward, "Oh, thanks. I guess it is pretty nice.."

The twins pushed her towards a large pile of masks, "Now find yourself a mask! We couldn't decide on which one out of those thirty, so any of them will work! We all have to get ready!"

Then, they all walked into the back room, already talking about the suits they had chosen and how they thought the night would go.

Haruhi sat down on a chair and looked at the pile of masks before her.

The majorities of them were over-the-top with feathers protruding from every side and were covered in glitter.

She saw a pale white mask that only covered half of the face and was bordered with gold beading; it had a pale blue flower on the side of it and was almost buried underneath the other extravagant masks.

_Well, at least that one seems normal, as normal as you can get with the Host Club._

She picked it up and placed it on her head.

_I swear if this is real gold…_

The clock from the bell tower rang out, there was only fifteen minutes left until the ball started.

Haruhi walked over to the door where everyone else was changing, "Uh, are you guys done yet? There is only fifteen minutes left."

Kyouya's voice called out from inside, "I think it is going to take us some time Haruhi. You should go ahead of us anyways seeing as our customers might say something if they see us enter with an unknown woman. It is being held in the Main Ballroom in the North Building. We will see you there."

She set off towards the North section of the school.

It had begun to get dark and lanterns had been set out casting a faint glow upon the walkway.

She saw various couples walking hand in hand towards the ballroom; no one was immediately recognizable with their masks on.

_Damn rich people.. _She thought as she gazed up at the building in front of her, it was decorated with candles hanging from the ceiling and long swooping pieces of fabric hung from the walls giving the entire place a mysterious glow.

People were talking and laughing, all seeming to know who everyone else was.

_I really don't know anyone here.. _

She made her way over to a long table filled with all sorts of expensive foods.

_Mmmm, that looks so good._

Haruhi picked up a plate and began placing different types of food on it, she smiled at the thought of how it could taste.

She found herself a semi-private place to sit and began to eat.

Her eyes closed with each bite as she relished the heavenly taste of ootoro.

_Maybe rich people aren't so bad if they can afford food like this all the time._

A loud ringing noise sounded as most of the talking stopped.

Music began to play as many heads turned towards the door and whispering began.

The Host Club had arrived and so had the start of the Masquerade Ball.

* * *

**Well, this will be interesting.  
Won't it?  
I really like the concept of a Masquerade Ball, it'll take up a lot of space to write, so I can't add it to this chapter.  
The next chapter will be Sunday, that's for sure.  
I think I will keep this habit of updating twice a week, usually Thursday and Sunday.  
It works.  
Anyways, review please!  
I know you people are reading this, so just take a moment to say something.  
I would really appreciate some constructive criticism, it helps!  
BloodyHell95 has given me a lot and it kinda set the framework for the plot in stone.  
They actually told me the exact thing I was thinking of doing beforehand so, it really made me like the idea more.  
So, the point of that story is: review please.**

**~Blue**


	9. Chapter 9

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 9: The Masquerade Ball

**Hello!  
This chapter has fluff!  
Come on fangirls let me hear you scream!  
I can already see the flames of moe.  
Tell me if you see any mistakes in the chapter, i'll try and fix them as soon as possible.  
Lets get on with the show then people!**

* * *

Girlish squeals mixed with excited whispers as six men walked into the room.

Women fainted left and right, leaving their male escorts confused and irritated.

"Oh! Look at Tamaki, he looks so handsome! It's like a dream!" Gushed a girl next to Haruhi.

_Geez, it's just the Host Club. These people see them in costumes almost everyday. It really isn't that big of a deal._

Reluctantly, she sat down her plate of food and pushed her way through the crowd of people as music began to play.

Girls, most likely customers of the Host Club, stood shoulder to shoulder in a very close circle, whispering.

Haruhi could see the twirling figures of couples dancing every way she turned. Eventually, she saw the tall blonde head of Tamaki Suoh.

She weaved her way through the groups of people and finally made it to him.

He was wearing a blindingly white suit with a dark purple shirt on underneath. His eyes seemed too be even more radiant than ever as they shined through the openings in his elegantly sculptured mask, which was also white.

_I think my eyes will burn out of my head if I look at him… How can a fabric be that bright?_

"Haruhi! My darling daughter, how are you?" He exclaimed, spinning away from the girl he was dancing with.

Haruhi took a step back, desperately trying to avoid a hug.

"Uh, fine sempai. How are you?"

"Absolutely wonderful, what better thing is there than to dance the night away with such lovely young ladies?"

He grabbed her hand, "Would you like to dance?"

Tamaki didn't wait for an answer; he placed his arms around her and made her follow suit.

As the orchestra started playing he pulled her into a twirling dance.

Haruhi was awkward and had a hard time following him.

She had been taught to lead while dancing, so it was a tug of war between the two.

Still, Tamaki danced with her until the song ended, dipping her low to the ground and then finally letting her go.

_That was extremely awkward… And unexpected._

"So Tamaki-sempai," She asked, "How long do these things usually last?"

"An hour or two, but, that was only the third song, Haruhi, don't tell me you are bored yet?"

She was about too answer when two familiar arms draped themselves around her.

"Haruhi! We finally found you!" The voices of Hikaru and Kaoru whispered in her ear.

She could see that they both wore matching red suits and their mask's looked like the grinning face of a cat.

_How ironic…._

"And we were beginning to think that you had ran off with our dress." Hikaru said, "Why don't you have a dance with us, now. As payment."

She took a quick step forward, planning to make a run for it, but, a pair of arms caught her before she could get any farther.

"Not so fast. We deserve it, we did make that dress just for you.." Kaoru said with a smirk.

Haruhi sighed, "Fine."

Kaoru's arms were on her shoulder and waist as the orchestra started up another tune.

This dance went a little more fluently, the music was slower than the upbeat track she had danced with Tamaki.

Haruhi's eyes still stayed glued to her feet as she tried her hardest not to step on Kaoru.

"How do you like the ball so far? Have you tried the food yet?" He asked while they continued to dance.

Her eyes flickered up to him and she smiled slightly.

"It isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but, the food is too die for. I never got to finish my plate though; I went to look for you all when you arrived." She glanced longingly towards the direction of the buffet table.

He chuckled, " You know we would pay for you to have lunch at the school and have these foods everyday if you wanted it. We always offer it."

He spun her towards Hikaru, who caught her hand and continued the dance.

"The boss didn't try anything funny when you were dancing with him, did he?" Hikaru asked after a few seconds.

Haruhi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What? What do you mean?"

A small smile flashed across Hikaru's lips, "Nothing, nothing.. So I hear they have ootoro here tonight. Tamaki-sempai ordered it especially for you."

He winced as she accidentally stepped on his foot.

"Yeah, I tried some. It was heavenly, but, then again, all of the food was great." Her eyes were pulled back towards the table of food once more.

"I guess it is. We are just used to it, since we are rich and all."

The song ended, with long drawn out notes still resounding through the room.

"Thank you for the dance, Haruhi." Hikaru said softly before removing his hands from her.

Hikaru and Kaoru both melted back into the crowd, leaving Haruhi looking around for them.

_Well, they disappeared quickly… And Tamaki-sempai too.. I didn't think he could disappear._

The orchestra started another song, this one much more upbeat and in a higher key.

_I guess I should just-_

Her thoughts were cut short by an almost girlish sounding squeal of, "Haru-chan! Haru-chan!"

Honey pushed his way through a crowd of people and jumped on Haruhi.

"Me and Takashi have been looking everywhere for you!"

He wore a off-white suit and a large pink bow as a tie, which matched his Usa-chan bunny mask.

"Oh, hello Honey-sempai, I like your mask." Haruhi stated.

"Aww, thanks Haru-chan! I like yours too, it's so pretty!" He replied with a large smile.

"Do you want to go eat some cake with me? Takashi had too go dance with someone so I have to wait for him to finish.." Honey looked down sadly, making it near impossible for Haruhi to say no.

She reluctantly said, "Sure Honey-sempai, that would be nice."

He grabbed her hand and ran through the crowd pulling he along, Haruhi called out apologies to all the people she bumped into trying to keep up with the small blonde.

Eventually, he stopped on the other side of the room in front of a small table covered with every type of cake imaginable.

She sat down and picked out a small strawberry cake.

"Is strawberry cake your favorite Haruhi?" Honey asked as he devoured the three cakes in front of him.

"I guess it is. I am not really that into sweets…" She admitted, instantly regretting what she said and hoping that Honey wouldn't break down crying.

Surprisingly he smiled, "It's okay. Not everyone likes cake. I don't think Kyo-chan likes it at all.."

She drew in a breath at his name and sat up straighter in the chair, "I don't see him as being much of a sweets person."

"Yeah, he is missing out on all the good in life.." Honey said still smiling.

His eyes flickered over too their left and he stood up.

"Takashi!" He called as he began to race through the crowd again.

Haruhi stood up as well and tried to follow, she tripped over her high heels and was much slower that Honey.

_That's the end of that conversation.._

_He didn't have to run off like that.. _

She looked around again, no Honey in sight.

Haruhi walked back towards her original table and sat down.

She breathed heavily and rubbed her feet cursing whoever invented high heels.

A cool voice floated into her ear, "Having a fun time I suppose?"

She flinched and turned around to find herself face to face with Kyouya.

He was simply dressed, unlike the rest of the Host's, he wore a black suit and tie with a dark red undershirt. His mask seemed to be similar to Tamaki's but where Tamaki's mask was bright and comically carved, Kyouya's was dark and elegantly carved.

"Oh, Kyouya. I am having a fun time, it has been interesting..."

The edge of his lips moved upward as he slid into the chair next to her.

His eyes glinted through the mask.

"Are you having a nice time?" She asked as she took off her mask and placed it beside her.

"I suppose so. It is relatively boring dancing with people you don't know well. But, as you know, with Tamaki I doubt things will stay boring for long."

He removed his mask as well, looking almost bare without his glasses on.

_Kyouya looks so unusual when he doesn't wear glasses. It is like he is a different person._

Haruhi took a bite of the ootoro on her plate, noticing the fact that Kyouya was staring at her.

"Kyouya?" She said, trying to pull him out of his own thoughts.

It worked, his head snapped back up and his eyes came back into focus.

"Yes Haruhi?"

"You seem to be deep in though, is something wrong?"

As he was about to say something a familiar voice rang out through the ballroom.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the ball is going to come to a close soon. We ask that everyone joins us on the dance floor for the last dance of the night." Said Tamaki softly, earning multiple squeals from various girls.

Kyouya stood up and turned towards her, his hand extended. "Would you like to dance, Haruhi?"

She stood up as well and put her mask back on her head, "Sure, Kyouya. Why not?"

They walked toward the dance floor, following the mass of couples who were doing the same thing.

_I suppose this will be very interesting. _

The orchestra started up for the last time that night and began to play a slow paced song.

Kyouya and her both placed their arms on each other and began to waltz, moving in time with all the other dancers around them.

Somehow she managed to avoid stepping on his feet as they danced.

"Is this a little less boring?" Haruhi asked, looking up at him.

He smiled, " I think so. Perhaps it may even fall into the 'fun' category."

The music began to pick up pace and they began to move faster, anticipating the other's move they had moved in sync and navigated to the center of the ballroom.

She noticed Kyouya's eyes linger on a certain spot behind her and she said, "What is it?"

His eyes scanned the room before answering, "The rest of the Host Club is watching us.. They seem to be irritated."

"Why would they be irritated?"

They had begun to move again and Haruhi caught a glimpse of what he was talking about.

All of the member's of the Host Club were within fifteen feet of them, Hikaru and Tamaki were watching them with such a ferocity she felt bad for the girls they were dancing with.

Kaoru occasionally glanced her way, but, he mostly was looking at his brother.

Mori and Honey were looking at them with a smile on their faces, or in Mori's case a very small smile.

"I see what you mean.." Haruhi said.

"I think they are mad because we are dancing together.." He said softly

"Do you want to, perhaps, make them even more irritated? It could be… fun." Kyouya said, he raised his eyebrows as he said the word fun and he looked down at Haruhi.

"I guess so. They did force me to wear this dress, so there should be revenge.. What do I have to do?"

"Just follow along and smile." Kyouya replied with a small grin.

He moved himself closer to her as they danced; the gap between them was now only an inch.

She could smell the light cologne on him now and could feel his breath on the top of her head.

Haruhi smiled and looked up and him; the dance moves had become more elaborate and she had to concentrate to keep up.

The music had changed and was now slowing down to a steady beat.

She found herself looking at his eyes; they always had seemed so dark and mysterious beneath his glasses.

Now, they looked alive and almost inviting.

_What am I doing…. Thinking about his eyes? That has got to be a big cliché.._

She turned her gaze to the other Host's that were dancing around them, Hikaru and Tamaki seemed to be in pain..

_Why would they be? It is not like I belong to them or that I can't dance with Kyouya. He isn't that bad of a person, Tamaki-sempai should know that at least._

"Looks like your plan is working." She said as he spun her around.

"My plans always do work." Kyouya replied with a smirk.

The music swelled as all the instruments were in perfect harmony, then it was silent.

People began to clap and Haruhi joined them.

_The orchestra really was amazing, then again, it is an orchestra. Damn rich people.. Who can afford their own orchestra? I thi-_

"Haruhi." Kyouya pulled on her arm "I think it would be best if we made our exit now. Seeing the look on a few of our 'friends' faces is enough to persuade me that they might want to have a few words with us."

Haruhi agreed and they weaved through the crowd together, leaving the others far behind.

She took a quick look over her shoulder as they left through a back door and caught a glimpse of Tamaki completely red-faced stomping around the ballroom in a frenzy.

The exit took them into the maze-like gardens of Ouran Academy.

Haruhi burst out laughing as soon as they were a comfortable distance away from the building.

Kyouya glanced back at her, his mask now gone, as if he was questioning her sanity.

"What is so funny Haruhi?" He asked.

"I-hahaha! Did- did you see Tamaki-sempai's face back there? It was hilarious! He looked like- like he wanted to kill someone!"

She fell over again in a fit of laughter.

Kyouya smiled and helped her sit down on a bench.

He took the opportunity to text his driver and Haruhi's father.

When she had finally calmed down he said, "I will drive you home, if you don't mind. I see no point in your father having to come out here to pick you up when he should be working when I can just give you a ride home."

"That's fine with me Kyouya."

"My driver might take a while to get here, so lets just stay here for a while. It's really nice out tonight." Kyouya said looking at the stars above him.

"Yeah, it is. The garden here might be beautiful by day, but, I think they look better at night. They are dark and even more beautiful. The roses seem… alive."

A cold breeze chilled the air, Haruhi shivered.

_Why didn't the twins make sleeves for this dress…_

She rubbed her arms subconsciously.

Kyouya watched her, "Are you cold?"

"Oh, I am fine. It's okay." She smiled lightly.

"Don't lie to me Haruhi, you aren't good at it." He said with a shake of his head.

He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, his hand happened to brush her bare skin.

"Your skin is freezing, are you sure you are okay?" Kyouya moved closer to her and pressed his hand against her forehead.

_Maybe I am sick. My heart rate seems to be unnaturally fast.. And his hand is really warm.. Strange._

Haruhi then noticed how close they were now, he had leaned in even closer to try and see if she had a fever or if her eyes were dilated.

His face was only five or six inches away from hers.

She felt her face flush when she realized he had stopped talking and was now looking at her.

She barely noticed the fact that he was leaning in closer to her until it was too late.

Haruhi felt warmth spread through her as his lips gently pressed against hers, she leaned against him, subconsciously deepening the kiss.

She felt his arms wrap around her body and his lips pressing against her own as they both moved closer to the other.

With their eyes closed, neither of them noticed the pair of violet eyes peering at them from a distance, nor did they notice the crunch of leaves as that person dejectedly walked away.

* * *

**Woohoo!**

**That was fun to write.  
Heehee, got some fluff action there.  
Sorry this chapter is a little late, I had a lot of stuff to do and everyone apparently decided it was bother me day.  
It is a little short, but I think the kiss made up for it.  
I have really been waiting to write this scene and now we can further the plot!  
Poor Tamaki though, I have never been a TamaHaru or a HikaHaru fan but I feel bad for them both.  
Too bad though, Kyouya still wins… He always wins  
Please review! Even just a short little review would be nice!  
Any constructive criticism is appreciated and if you have anything you would like to see happen, tell me, it might work. Who knows?  
See you all Thursday!**

**~Blue**


	10. Chapter 10

Everything to Gain

Chapter 10: Musing and moments

**Hey!  
This is the 10****th**** chapter! Woohoo!  
Can't believe this is doing so well!  
I am proud!  
I have a reviewer challenge at the end of this chapter, so read the ending author's note.  
I only had time to check half of this chapter so tell me if there are mistakes.  
Here comes chapter 10!**

* * *

Ootori Kyouya took a deep breath in as he stared up at his ceiling, contemplating the events that had taken place earlier today.

He had kissed Haruhi Fujioka.

For some reason, this realization confused him and enthralled him at the same time.

His thoughts floated back to the slight strawberry-like taste of her lips, the feeling of being so close to her sent chills through his whole body.

_Since when has Kyouya Ootori become such a lovesick fool?_

_I… I don't know._

Love.. The word has never meant anything to him. Just other persons take on the experience of hormones, nothing more.

That had always been his explanation. He had always assumed he would marry for money and power and never contemplated the idea of romantic feelings towards said person he was to wed.

_Love.. _He mused over the word, it sounded odd, even in his thoughts.

_Love…. Definitely not, it couldn't be_

_Perhaps an excessive amount of like, adoration. That sounds most fitting._

_She seems to be the only one who actually sees through me; still, I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing in the long run._

_She is… cute? _

_Cute?_

_I don't think I have ever used that word before in my life….._

_Though, she is. The was her cheeks flush when I get near her makes me want to do it again._

_I suppose I am a lovesick fool._

_How oddly degrading and yet fitting._

_I doubt this will go anywhere though._

_Good things never last, right?_

_Thought I guess there is a possibility._

_Because, she did kiss back._

Then, there was a sharp knock at his bedroom door.

Kyouya sat up and quickly straightened his hair and tried to make himself look presentable for whoever it may be.

But, all of his efforts halted as he saw a familiar blonde head walk into his room.

"Ootori-sama, Master Tamaki is here to see you. He said it was urgent." Called out one of the various maids assigned to him.

His friend walked up to him, his hair slightly disheveled.

"Kyouya-"

"What is it Tamaki?"

Tamaki sat down next to him with a sigh and turned to face him, "I wanted to apologize. For the way I have been acting towards you recently."

Kyouya pushed up his glasses, "It is fine, I understand."

"I don't think you do.. I- We… We all thought you were using Haruhi, for one of your own schemes. We were all so angry, so unbelievably mad at you that we didn't stop to think about the fact that you might have had real feelings… for her.."

The pained expression on Tamaki's face surprised him, he continued to talk.

"But, I saw you and her in the garden today and I realized that you do.."

He looked up, his violet eyes staring into Kyouya's own onyx ones with a smile.

"That is when I realized that I, I might have feelings for her too and I am going to try and win her over."

The challenge flashed through his eyes and Kyouya grinned, "Isn't that a little, possessive? Haruhi as a 'prize'? I thought a gentleman like you wouldn't stoop so low."

"Au contraire mon ami, I will use my gentlemanly skills to win her over fair and square. Though, it isn't fair that you got a head start.. This will make us rivals you know, friends still… Perhaps friendly rivals?" Tamaki contemplated with a goofy grin on his face.

"Perhaps. Though I don't wish to make this into a competition between us, because you will only be upset when I win." Kyouya replied with a grin.

His friend's eyes drifted over to an elegantly wrapped package sitting on his desk, "Kyouya, what is that?"

"A present, obviously."

"For who?"

"Haruhi. It is her birthday tomorrow, idiot." He replied, watching as Tamaki stiffened in shock.

_Check and mate._

"Now get out of here before you freak out on me about why I didn't tell you it was her birthday." He pushed him out of the door and watched as he stumbled down the staircase panic rising in his eyes.

Kyouya turned back towards the rectangular box sitting near him and grinned.

_This just gets better and better._

* * *

Haruhi Fujioka put down her pencil with a sigh of relief.

_Finally, that homework is done._

She picked up the multiple sheets of graph paper and placed them back in her notebook.

Almost involuntarily, her hand went up to her lips, it had to be the tenth time this night since _it_ had happened.

She could still feel the fleeting feeling of warmth against them, her face flushed as she remembered.

_He.. We… _

_What? What was it that was so hard to say about it._

_She had kissed Ootori Kyouya._

_Or more like he had kissed her._

It was odd for her to think, having no romantic relationship in her life, ever.

It had never crossed her mind.

Not once.

Her thoughts had been: study, study, college, work, become a lawyer.

Now that all of these, decisions, these feelings, had been thrown into the mix she didn't know what to do.

_This isn't that big of a deal… It is just Kyouya._

_Just Kyouya… _

_I need to focus on something else… _

_Anything else._

Haruhi's eyes found their way to the calendar on her bedroom wall.

As she glanced over it, many different emotions fluttered through her.

Of course tomorrow was her birthday; the date was circled in a red sharpie and stood out on the plain white calendar.

But, the day after that was February 5th, a day that would forever be ingrained in her mind as:

The feeling of worry when her mother hadn't come home one night.

The panic when the police came.

The almost constant rain and thunder that had kept her awake that night, waiting for the door to open and her mother's smiling face to fill the room.

Six years.

Six years she has dreaded this one day where all of the memories would come flooding back to her in a rush and leave her utterly defenseless.

Haruhi pulled her self up off the floor and plopped down in bed, wishing she had never thought to hang a calendar in her room.

Sleep came easily.

* * *

She woke up to the buzzing of her alarm and rolled over pushing the button on the clock with a groan.

After a few seconds, Haruhi sat up and rubbed her eyes, taking a deep breath she pushed her covers off and stood up.

A small rectangular package sat at her feet, perfectly wrapped in plain, black paper and a small red bow.

She bent down and picked it up, revealing an envelope underneath.

She opened it and a small note fluttered out that said:

**Happy Birthday, Haruhi.**

**I would also like to ask you to dinner tonight at seven**

**Do you think I could have an answer when I pick you up this morning for school?**

**Thank you,**

**Kyouya**

Haruhi let out a sigh.

_He would sneak a present into my room, I wonder how he got here… Some 'Ootori secret' I suppose._

She pulled off the ribbon and undid the wrapping paper to reveal a simple brown box which she opened as well.

She almost gasped at what was sitting in her lap.

It was a sleek, midnight blue laptop that must have been the thinnest she had ever seen.

Sitting next to it was a power cord and underneath it was a black carrying case.

Haruhi picked it up out of the box carefully and plugged it in, watching as it started up.

The home screen came up with icons already preset and a text box opened.

It read:

**Do you like it?**

She smiled and mentally cursed Kyouya for being so sneaky.

She walked over to her closet and pulled out her school uniform and went through the actions of getting ready for school.

Then, her door was thrown open and a cheerful Ranka walked in, "HARUHI! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DAUGHTER!"

He jumped on her and pulled her into a bear hug, almost suffocating her.

"Dad, let me go! Can't- breathe!" She said as she tried to pry herself away from his arms.

The okama dragged his daughter out into the kitchen and sat her down, "I already made breakfast! Here you go!"

He placed an assortment of foods in front of her that ranged from miso soup to namogoyaki, that all looked insanely good to her.

Haruhi smiled, "Thanks dad!"

She began to eat, alternating between foods to get the best mixture of flavors.

Her father brought an assortment of boxes over to her and _he _squealed as she opened each one claiming it was better than the other.

Haruhi mentally rolled her eyes at her father's antics, but, she secretly liked them.

When they had finished, the phone rang.

Ranka rushed over to get it and answered, "Hello? This is Ranka!"

His face instantly grew serious and somber as he listened to what the caller had to say.

"I can't, you know what day it is." He whispered into the phone.

"Can't you get someone else to do it? Anyone else?"

The other person on the line continued to speak.

"It's an emergency.. Great. Well, I guess I have to then." He said reluctantly and placed the phone back.

"What is it, dad?" Haruhi asked.

"WAHH! I AM SORRY HARUHI!" He screamed scooping her into a big hug.

"Wait- what is it?" She said as she was smashed against his chest.

"I can't make it to the annual birthday dinner we do.. Five members at the bar are out sick and all employees have to come in." He said reluctantly as he released her.

Haruhi let out a sigh of relief.

_At least no one died, by the way he reacted I thought he might have killed someone.._

_I guess I am free tonight then._

She then remembered Kyouya's dinner invitation.

"It's okay dad. I have something to do anyways." She said lightly.

"Oh.. MY LITTLE BABY IS GROWING UP! YOU ARE SO ADORABLE!" He shrieked.

Her eyes then flickered over to the clock, it was 7:06.

"Oh, dad! I'm sorry, I have to go! I am going to be late for school!" She quickly collected her bag and shoved all of her textbooks into it, picked up a 'birthday bento box' as her father called it, and ran out the door.

She made her way down the steps in a hurry and calculated how long it would take her to get to the bus stop from here if she ran.

Then, she noticed the car.

_Of course…._

_How could I forget…_

Kyouya opened the door of the limo and gestured for her to get inside.

She slid into the seat and Kyouya followed suit.

Haruhi's face turned a bright red color when she realized how close he was to her, barely a few inches separated them.

"Thank you for the gift, Kyouya. I really like it." She said, turning towards him.

"You are quite welcome Haruhi. I thought you would like it, it seems like something that would be useful to you." He angled his body towards her.

"But, how did you get it in my house without me knowing?" She asked, who was actually curious.

Kyouya placed his arms on either side of her and leaned close to her, his face right next to her ear and whispered, "That's my secret, I suppose."

Haruhi stiffened and felt her face flush again, she could swear he was grinning at her reaction.

He pressed himself even closer to her and asked, "Is there some reason you are so nervous around me, Haruhi?"

"N-no." She replied, cursing the fact that her voice had wavered.

"Really? Strange. It seems that you are.."

His hand pushed her face towards him as his lips pressed to hers. His hand seemed to tighten around her back and hers followed suit. She found herself kissing him back almost subconsciously; all rational thoughts had left her mind. The space between them was gone and his arms wrapped around her and hers around him.

It was only when the need for air was vital that they pulled apart.

They both breathed heavily as they returned to their seats, hair was fixed and clothing was straightened out.

The car then came to a halt and Kyouya opened the door and he offered his hand to her and they stepped out into Ouran Academy.

* * *

Haruhi walked up the stairs to Music Room #3.

She could hear the unnaturally loud sounds that were coming from the room and braced herself for the worst.

_They are doing something. I hope it doesn't involve me.. _

Today had been almost peaceful for her, seeing as the twins and all of the other Host Club members had all been excused from classes for some 'hosting emergency'.

She assumed they were up to something big, and it most likely involved her, seeing as she wasn't dragged along on their 'adventure'.

So as she opened the door to the Host Club, she feared for another frilly dress or cosplay idea.

Well, she was wrong, it was worse.

The entire room was covered in party streamers, balloons and paper lanterns.

There was a grand table sitting in the middle of the room covered with a large cake and multiple presents.

Directly in front of her stood the six other members of the club, who said, "Happy Birthday Haruhi!"

They ushered her in and all collectively glomped her to the point where she couldn't breathe.

"You guys really did all this?" She asked, looking skeptically around.

"Of course we did, dear Haruhi! We would never forget your birthday! We had to go all out!" Said Tamaki, as he walked around the room with exaggerated hand gestures

The twins wrapped themselves around her and pulled her away from Tamaki.

"Yes Haruhi," They said in unison, "We couldn't forget your birthday and this is a small party for us in the first place. You should be glad we didn't do something bigger."

"Yeah right. I doubt you could do anything bigger in this room.."

A small body tackled her from behind, "Haru-chan! We have cake! You should try some, it is going to be delicious!"

She turned around, "Okay, Honey-sempai, I guess i'll have some."

Haruhi let herself be dragged to the table.

Everyone argued who would sit next to her at the table, which ended with them drawing numbers so she ended up with Tamaki on her left and Kyouya on her right.

Her eyes met his and she blushed and looked away as the moment in the limo replayed it self in her mind.

They placed an unnaturally large cake down in front of her and began to sing "Happy birthday" loudly, messing up the words often and not in tune.

Then, they cut her a huge piece of strawberry cake and set it in front of her, and to her surprise, she actually enjoyed it.

"Mmmm, you are right. This is good." She said noticing all the faces looking expectantly at her.

They smiled and began to eat as well, laughing and talking.

"Present time!" Squealed Tamaki as he wheeled over a large cart, filled with boxes wrapped in colorful paper.

Haruhi inwardly groaned, wondering what horrors could be concealed inside them.

Mori reached for a present of the top and placed it in front of her, "Here is ours."

Honey jumped up beside her and said, "Your going to love it!"

She opened the silk bow and the pink bunny wrapping paper and found a scrapbook that had a picture of all seven of them on the front.

"It's a scrapbook that shows all of the fun memories we had, Haru-chan!"

She began to flip through pages, "I even left some blank pages in the back so you can add more!"

Honey ran up and gave her a hug, she smiled lightly, "Thanks guys. It's really nice."

She was then dragged back to the table by two arms "We're next!" called out the twins who gave a large rectangular box to her.

Haruhi took off the lid and was not surprised to see a Hitachiin label dress, it was made of a dark purple silk and had a black sash with intricate beading. The box also contained matching black heels, to which she groaned at, and a small gold clutch.

She turn towards them with feigned happiness, "Thanks.."

The both hugged her from each side, making her feel like a Haruhi Sandwich.

"But I like to- breathe…" She struggled to get the words out.

They pulled away from her, "You're welcome!"

Tamaki came last and put a small square box on the table, "Here you go!"

He wiggled excitedly at the side of the table as she opened it.

Inside was a small locket that looked as if it was made out of gold, and it probably was, that contained pictures of the entire host club on the inside.

"I thought since Honey-sempai gave you the scrapbook, you could carry around a tinier picture of us in the locket when you don't have the book."

Haruhi turned to him, "Thanks, Tamaki-sempai. It's nice."

She knew she would never wear it but the sentimental value was appreciated.

He glomped her and spun her around in a big hug that made her head ache.

When he put her down, all eyes turned to Kyouya, waiting to see what he would give her.

Hikaru finally spoke up, "Kyouya-semapai, you didn't get Haruhi anything?"

Just as Kyouya was about to reply, Haruhi beat him to the punch, "Actually, Kyouya already gave me my present. It was a laptop." She stated.

The room fell into a stunned and awkward silence at the dropped honorific and Haruhi found herself blushing, again.

* * *

**Yeah, I know. Kind of a 'meh' ending to a chapter.  
But, did you like the fluff?  
I know you did!  
In case you don't know, a dropped honorific means that the two people have a close relationship.  
Reviewer question: Where do you think Kyouya and Haruhi should go for dinner?  
Answer in a review and I will pick the best one and give credit.  
Because honestly, I have no idea…  
Review people!**


	11. Chapter 11

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 11: Memories

**Hai!  
It's your friendly neighborhood author here, Blue!  
Congrats to I-LOVE-The-Host-Club for PMing me such an awesome idea and to Gise Destler for the same idea!  
You two are great!  
I hope you are all happy with this chapter!But, tell me if you see any mistakes, because I am human and make them constantly.  
Enjoy!**

* * *

In Music Room #3 it was silent.

It was awkwardly silent.

Haruhi just lowered her eyes and found herself trying to be occupied with flipping through the scrapbook in front of her.

She could feel the other Host's watching her, minus Kyouya; he also seemed preoccupied with clicking away at his laptop. (Which appeared out of nowhere)

That reminded her…

She got out of her chair and walked over to her bag, inside, was a leather carrying case and her new computer; she pressed the power button and only had to wait a few seconds before it was up and running.

Haruhi plopped herself down on a couch and once again took note of how many Host Club member's eyes were on her.

She clicked on an application labeled 'Msn' and it opened up to a log in screen.

Kyouya had told her earlier this morning in the hallway, that he had set up an account for her on this chatting service and that he also had an account and was on it whenever his laptop was running.

_I guess it would be the best way to talk to him at the moment, since the others seem to be shell-shocked. _

Under the 'Friends' list there was only one name, which was obviously Kyouya.

She clicked on it and a small screen popped up, she clicked on the bottom text box and began typing.

**Haruhi: Hello?**

She glanced up at Kyouya and watched as his eyebrows raised and his eyes drifted over towards her.

He shot her a quick smile and typed back a reply.

**Kyouya: Hello Haruhi, trying to make the best of this awkward situation I see?**

**Haruhi: Yeah. I didn't think it really mattered this much to them that I dropped the honorific.. **

**Kyouya: Well, they are who they are. I am sure they will come out of this trance-like state of disbelief any second and when they do it'll be very interesting. **

**Haruhi: I bet it will**

By this time Honey had began to happily eat more cake and Mori watched him, Tamaki seemed to be spiraling into a coma-like state of defeat and his brain seemed to be overactive with all of the scenarios he was creating in his 'Inner Mind Theater".

Haruhi turned back to the screen where Kyouya had typed:

**Kyouya: I never got to ask you if I could accompany you to dinner tonight**

**Haruhi: That would be nice; my father has to work all night so we can't go out as we usually do. It'll be fun.**

**Kyouya: Do you think we could leave after the club is done? Seeing as you will want to get home before it is too late.**

**Haruhi: Sure**

If Kyouya had something else to say, he never got the chance, because at that moment Ritsu Kassnoda burst through the door carrying a vase full of flowers.

His appearance seemed to jolt everyone out of their own worlds.

Honey put down his fork, Tamaki and the twins looked towards him and Haruhi and Kyouya packed their laptops away.

Kassnoda walked up to Haruhi, "Hey… Fujioka! I heard it was your birthday today… so… I got you these."

He thrust the vase full of various vibrant colored flowers forward; Haruhi took it in her hands and admired it.

"It's very nice Kassnoda, thank you." She said with a smile

He took a quick step back and ran into Hikaru and Kaoru, "Heeey, Bossa Nova. What are you doing here? Flirting with Haruhi, perhaps?"

"Uh, uh…. No! I wasn't fl-flirting with Fujioka! I just came to give her a gift- cause it's her birthday, right?" He stammered, and began to make his way to the door.

"Oh no, look Kaoru he is running away. What a shame, right?" Hikaru said leaning on his brother.

Both of their eyes fell on Haruhi, who stiffened in fear. "Oh Haruhi-!" They called as they plucked her off the couch, "Why don't you try on that dress for us now?"

She pushed them off her, "Uh.. No thank you.. I would much rather go home."

"But Haruhi… We made that dress just for you! You don't think you could try it on, for us?" Said Kaoru as he put on the most dejected expression he could muster up.

She sighed, _There is no way they are going to let me out of this one._

She looked at Kaoru and his puppy dog like eyes and gave in.

"Fine, that is the only thing I am trying on though." She picked up the box and trudged off towards the back bathroom.

_Damn rich people and their damn whining.._

She closed the door of the bathroom and undressed and put the clothes on.

The dress was silky and felt very cool to the touch, the dark purple color contrasted well with her pale skin.

She tied the black sash around her waist and rubbed her hand against it, marveling at the intricate beading that had been woven in.

Reluctantly, Haruhi placed the small black high-heels on her feet and picked up the red clutch purse.

_Well, let's hope this will end soon._

She stepped out into the main hallway and groaned as Hikaru and Kaoru both smiled at their accomplishment.

Tamaki turned towards her and his face grew to a dark shade of red, "H-Haruhi.." He choked out, "Yo-you look very good."

"Thank you sempai." She replied.

Haruhi turned around and was in the process of finding a path through the box filled hallway that led back to the bathroom when a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Not so fast, Haruhi. I don't think you should take that off just yet." Kyouya said, not releasing her hand.

"And why would that be, Kyouya?"

"Because you are accompanying me to dinner tonight and I think this would be better for you to wear than your Ouran uniform."

She sighed knowing she shouldn't even try to argue with him and let herself be pulled back to the main room by him.

The clock tower bell rang out, it was five o'clock already.

"I suppose that is our cue?" Asked Haruhi.

"It is."

He let go of her hand quickly, and within a few seconds the rest of the Host Club had entered the room and was talking and laughing about some 'miracle dog from the internet' that Tamaki had seen.

Kyouya began to walk towards the door and gestured for Haruhi to come with him.

"Hey! Kyouya! Haruhi! Where are you two going?" Yelled Tamaki as he ran across the room to join them, hoping to come with.

The Shadow King looked at him, "Why does it matter to you? Goodbye everyone!"

He then, grabbed Haruhi's arm and they walked through the door.

"That was a bit harsh sounding." She said looking up at him.

"Yes, it was. But, it was the only way to get you and I out of there without them making a big deal about it." He pushed his glasses up as they walked down the stairs.

A limo was already waiting for them at the front, Tachibana held open the door for them as Haruhi, then Kyouya got in.

This morning's events kept replying themselves in her head.

_Got to change the subject of my thoughts_

"Any chance you will tell me where we are going?" Haruhi asked, looking out the window for any signs of where they could be headed.

He grinned slyly, "Nope. You'll just have to trust me."

"How far away is it?"

"Not far."

"How long till you give me a definite answer for something?" She turned towards him with a small smile.

"Probably a while." Kyouya replied with another grin.

"You know what? I think you need to smile more often, Kyouya." Haruhi stated.

He smiled this time, "And why is that?"

"You don't do it often, and it's nice."

She could already feel the blush rising to her cheeks, but the one thing she didn't expect to see was the hint of a blush on his.

_Kyouya is blushing? What?_

Haruhi leaned in closer to him to get a better look.

"I think the same applies to you." Kyouya said, sending her back to her original place.

"What?"

"The same applies to you. You should smile more often, a real smile, not just a pity smile, like you give to the twins.." He pushed his glasses up on his face and rubbed his cheek.

"Oh, I guess I have never really thought of that. Thank you Kyouya." She turned to him and smiled, and he smiled back.

The car came to a halt and Haruhi turned to the window, trying to peer outside.

But, a hand pulled her out of the car swiftly.

They were on the beach where the waves gently lapped at the shore and made a soft, calming sound and a wooden gazebo stood on the sand, beautifully carved and Haruhi could see the ornate details that covered it.

Under it stood a small table filled with different types of food and drinks.

The whole place seemed to be lit by paper lanterns that cast a soft shadow across things and made the entire scene glow.

"This place is stunning.." She whispered.

"As it should be."

Kyouya pulled her down the steps and over to the gazebo, where she sat down and he pushed in her chair.

"Enjoying your birthday so far?" He asked, placing a bowl of noodles onto his plate.

Haruhi smiled as she pulled a piece of ootoro onto her plate, "Yes, I am. Other than the incident with the Host Club, I have to say this day has been close to perfect. It's strange to think of myself as fifteen now."

She closed her eyes as she took a part of the fish into her mouth, she savored every bite she could get of it.

"You like it, I presume?" He asked with a smirk, watching her eat.

"Mmmhmm." She swallowed, "One of my favorite tastes."

"What else do you like?" Kyouya asked curiously.

Haruhi looked up at him and thought for a minute before answering with, "I guess my other favorites have to be…. Chocolate dipped strawberries and I only had it once or twice, but I also like steak."

"What do you like, Kyouya?"

He rested his head on his hand while he thought, " My favorite food would have to be… Practically anything spicy.. I can't really think of a favorite."

"Do you like any sweets?" Haruhi popped a piece of lobster into her mouth and smiled.

"Not most of them, but I do like melon. Don't ever tell Honey-sempai about this though, the last person her caught who didn't like sweets was forced him to eat cake until he 'acquired a taste for it' as Honey put it. It was bad.. The poor man is probably scarred for life."

Haruhi bent over and laughed, she couldn't control herself the noise, it just kept coming out of her.

Soon, she could barely breathe and she had to suck in big, deep breaths of air and try her best not to laugh again.

"What was so funny?" Kyouya asked.

"You! You sounded exactly like Tamaki-sempai! Like one of those stories he always tells about Honey-sempai and the Green Berets!" She tried again to catch her breath.

"Me and Tamaki are alike? I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult." He said with a small smile.

"Hmm, I think it is a good thing. He is a nice guy."

"I suppose he is, he is always so positive about things, never a negative thought in his head."

"He kind of reminds me of my mother in a way, she was always looking on the brighter side of things.." Haruhi said softly, her thoughts drifted back to six years ago.

"I am sure she was, she seems like a remarkable woman, Haruhi."

"She was… I am sure she was, before she…" Haruhi's face had clouded now; it was so close to the fifth, the day grew closer and closer by the minute.

"Did I ever tell you about my mother?" Kyouya asked quietly.

"No" She replied

"She died when I was very young, I think I was six. From what I am told and the little I remember, she was… kind. I think my father may have loved her even. Her name was Hana. Hana Ootori once she married my father… There are no pictures of her in the house, but from what I have heard she had short, black hair and her eyes were a rich blue color. She had been on vacation in the tropics and when she came back she had felt fatigued. We all had assumed it was jet lag or something minor but she had caught a disease, whatever she had was unknown in the medical world. She was too tired to get out of bed and her muscles grew weaker everyday, she couldn't hold down food or water and antibiotics made it worse. Her skin was pale and clammy; she fell into a deep sleep and had a high fever constantly. My father had called in hundreds of doctors, but none of them could help her. The longer she stayed alive the worse she got, all different types of symptoms began to appear, from coughs to bloodshot eyes. The only memory of her I have, is one that I remember distinctly. I had walked into her room one day, she had been coughing up blood for hours but she somehow called out, her voice was raspy and I couldn't understand her. Then, a beeping noise rang out through the room; soon she was swarmed with doctors and nurses. I ran out of the room in fear, later that day I learned that she had died."

Kyouya took a deep breath and rested his head in his hands, lost in thought.

Haruhi got up from her seat and walked over to him, she felt him stiffen when she wrapped her arms around him.

He soon turned towards her and returned the hug pulling her closer to him, to the point where she was sitting in his lap curled up against his chest.

"My mother… She died when I was young as well, I was nine. Her name was Kotoko. I remember her still, she had short brown hair and dark brown eyes like me and she was always so happy, so excited and passionate about everything. She was a lawyer, and she would always come home at night after work and tell me what case she was working on and how it was going. I would tell her what I thought about it and what I she should do. It was nice. I loved her, my father loved her and I know she loved us. One day she had a particularly important case, it had been going on for days and today she thought she would finally close it. I stayed awake in my room that night, waiting for her to come home and tell me what happened. But she never did. I stayed up that entire night listening to thunder around me and realized something could be wrong. I knew something bad had happened to her when the police came the next morning. She had been found in an alleyway, dead. A man had tried to steal her purse and wallet and she refused, she was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. That day, February 5th, is the day I became afraid of thunder and I lost my mother." Haruhi whispered her words growing quieter and quieter as she reached the end.

His arms still wrapped around her she buried her face in Kyouya's chest.

"It's okay to cry, Haruhi." He said softly into her ear.

Tears she didn't know she was holding back sprung from her eyes and she cried holding on tightly to the person in front of her.

* * *

**Aww.  
That was adorable…  
And really saddening to write and come up with..  
Sorry there isn't a lot of fluff in this chapter, but I hope the touching scene makes up for it.  
This chapter was a little short... I couldn't add the next segment because then it would be way too long..If you guys have anything you think might work for the story, tell me!  
I can always use your ideas!  
Constructive criticism and praise do work wonders when you leave them in a review!  
So click that button people and tell me what you think!**

**~Blue**

**PS: ShadowKing'sQueen was an anonymous reviewer and who ever they are left a comment on this story, and I really want to talk to said person about their review, so if you are out there PM me or email me please. I want to answer your review, but I can't really do it here. Heh…**


	12. Chapter 12

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 12: Surprise fight.

**Hello wonderful readers!  
Here is chapter twelve!  
Be warned, this might be a little depressing at some points.  
Just a wee bit.  
Mostly Haruhi POV but we do have one short Kyouya POV at the end, so don't be confused.  
Tell me if you see any errors with it, I hate to not know!  
Well, lets read people!**

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she didn't want to get out of bed.

Her father weakly called out to her, "Haruhi.. Get up.."

Her thoughts were clouded and she felt horrible.

The picture of her mother seemed to shine in the room, everything else looked gray and unappealing.

Haruhi knelt next to it.

_I miss you mom.._ She thought, finding that even hard to do.

She slowly put on her clothes, feeling her now lead-like limbs slow her down.

She sat down at the breakfast table, knowing she wouldn't eat anything this morning.

"I'll drive you to school today." Said her father.

He was dressed in a black shirt and pants and wore no makeup; his hair was tied in an almost manly-like ponytail.

"Okay." Haruhi replied sadly.

At seven they both trudged to the door and left their house, a gray cloud seemed to loom over them.

* * *

Haruhi blankly stared out the window of her classroom; the last thing on her mind was the teacher's lecture on how to graph rational equations.

She sighed, knowing there would be no way she would focus in any of her classes today.

Today..

The one day she didn't care enough to pay attention, no matter how much her rational side warned her about dropping grades and scholarships.

All her brain would do is revert back to one thought.

Her mother.

Her wonderful mother, because of her death she had always had a weak spot in her heart, always had a place where sadness seemed to grow.

She had been struggling to keep her mother out of her thoughts; at least until school was over, she knew she couldn't handle it here.

She knew she couldn't handle the burst of emotions that came with her name, not in class around all these people.

All she wanted to do is go home.

To lay down, and try and forget.

She sighed, Haruhi knew only one other thing that could possibly push her mother out of her thoughts, if only for a few minutes.

His name was Kyouya Ootori.

Many mixed emotions came with this name, there was empathy for the death of his mother, there was sadness for the belief that he held about keeping this façade of his in place all the time, there was the gratatude for him taking her out the many times he had, the comforting safe feeling she had in his arms.

Yes, many emotions came with the name Kyouya Ootori, but, there was one feeling, one strange little feeling that she couldn't pin down.

It was an emotion she could not place, a feeling she could not remember feeling before.

_Perhaps admiration?_

_No… I think it is stronger that that._

_Something deeper.._

_Something stronger. _

_Is this what having a 'crush' feels like?_

_It can't be… I can't.._

_I think the last time I have felt it was… last night._

_It was there, I could barely feel it when I was crying, but I think it was still there._

Haruhi rubbed her eyes slowly and the events of the previous night replayed in her head.

_Slowly, the sobs began to stop._

_Haruhi took deep breaths, removing her face from Kyouya's chest as she looked up at him._

"_Haruhi," He said softly, almost a whisper, "Thank you for telling me about your mother, she seems like an amazing woman."_

_She took another shaky breath in, "No, thank you Kyouya, for telling me about your mother too, as well as helping me."_

_She wrapped her arms around him tighter into a hug and he smiled._

"_Would you like to go home now?" He asked softly._

"_I would." She replied as she stood up._

_Kyouya took her hand and led her to the car, only the soft sound of sand crunching underneath their feet was heard as they settled into a comfortable silence._

_The limo seemed to pull up out of nowhere, making no sound in the silent night._

_The door opened smoothly and they entered, sliding into the soft leather seats._

_Haruhi turned towards him with a smile, "Thank you again for this date Kyouya, I've had a nice time." _

"_It was my pleasure Haruhi. I would like to go out with you again, if that's okay."_

_She still could smell the faint scent of his cologne; it seemed to have lingered on her._

_Her lips turned up into a slight smile as she replied, "I would like that."_

_She felt his arm wrap around her and pull her closer to him._

_She felt his breath on her neck as he slowly-_

"Haruhi-kun!" A voice called out.

Haruhi snapped upward, breaking out of her own thoughts to find two blushing girls standing in front of her.

"Class is over Haruhi-kun! You looked like you were thinking of something really important, we're sorry!" The tall light haired girl apologized.

"Oh, thank you Matimoko-san. My mind was somewhere else at the moment and I must have missed the bell, I am glad you told me." She smiled her natural smile and was returned with a squeal.

"Oh! No problem Haruhi-kun!" She giggled and ran off, obviously very flustered.

Haruhi picked all of her books up and walked to her next class, mentally scolding herself for zoning out like that.

_Though I still am no better off then when I was before.._

_I did manage to waste an entire period, only six more to go… Great._

* * *

By her last class she had gone blank.

No thoughts occurred to her; she just sat there, trying to block everything out of her mind.

In no time the class had ended and she robotically made her way into the hall and headed for the nearest exit.

But, two arms intercepted her on her way and pulled her in the opposite direction.

Haruhi meekly said, "Please let go.."

Two identical faces grinned back at her and said, "We are taking you to the club, silly. I don't know where you were wanting to go but you have hosting duties today. So don't try and skip them."

_Hosting duties? _Her thoughts barely registered; all she wanted to do was to leave.

"But I…"

They interrupted her, "Too bad! You have work to do, so what ever you have now isn't important as that."

Suddenly they stopped an expression of pure terror on their faces as they looked upward.

"Hikaru, Kaoru… What are you doing to Haruhi?" Said a voice, the speaker's tone seemed to make the room drop ten degrees.

"Uh.. We were just taking her to the club room. She was trying to leave.. Isn't that what we should have done Kyouya-sempai?" Kaoru's voice wavered.

Something in Haruhi's mind clicked..

_Kyouya?_

"Did you ever stop and consider the fact that she might actually have a reason for going somewhere?" His voice cut through the fog in her mind.

_I am supposed to.._

A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her towards her original destination, the door.

"Next time at least ask before you kidnap someone Kaoru.." Kyouya said, pulling Haruhi through the crowd.

"What are you doing Kyouya?" She asked, struggling to keep up with his pace.

"We are leaving." He stated

Panic started to rise up in her chest "But I have to go-"

"I know." He calmly replied.

They were outside now and Kyouya led her towards an all too familiar black limousine; the door opened and she was gently pushed in.

"Where to?" Asked Tachibana from the front seat.

" 327 Parten Street." He said.

She then saw the bouquet of flowers sitting on the side seat and it all made sense.

_327 Parten Street... _

_That is the graveyard… _

_And that… _

_That means…_

"You can just drop me off, Kyouya, you don't have to come. It's fine."

He turned towards her, "I know I don't have to but what if I want to? Do you mind if I visit your mother with you Haruhi?"

OoOoOoOoOo

Haruhi kneeled in front of the small black tombstone.

She shakily placed a stick of incense in front of the grave and attempted to turn on the lighter.

After a few tries, Kyouya' hands slid over hers and he helped her silently.

She breathed in the smell of lilac, which had always filled the house when her mother was alive and put a small picture at the base of the headstone, right next to the bouquet of flowers Kyouya had brought.

_Mom… Today is the sixth anniversary of the day you left us._

_It's a huge understatement to say I miss you, but, I do._

_But, I also think I am doing okay on my own._

_I'm not really on my own, I have Dad of course and I love him._

_I'm doing well in school and hope to be able to get a scholarship to Tokyo University and follow in your footsteps. _

_I have some pretty great friends here at Ouran and I think you would have liked them.._

_Still, I wish you were here to share it with me._

_It was your time to go I guess.. _

_Today, Kyouya came with me to your grave, mom._

_He is… How would I describe him?_

_He is tall and good looking, as all the Host's are, he is smart, fun to be around, interesting, and a really nice guy at heart. (Even though he tries to convince people otherwise..)_

_I guess Kyouya really keeps the Host Club members in check, all of the other's are crazy... He balances them out.._

_Tamaki Suoh is the craziest of them all, Dad hates him… Even though they are just alike._

_You know what Mom?_

_I think this year has been one of the best since you left.._

_It may be absolutely insane, but one of the best, still._

_I wish you would come back to us.. But I know it is impossible.._

Haruhi felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.

_I know you are in a better place now Mom and I know that you are watching us._

Haruhi didn't know how long she had sat there, kneeling at the base of her mother's grave, but, by the time she sat up the sky had began to darken.

Kyouya stood up next to her, removing his arm from her in the process, and helped her up.

Hand in hand they walked back to the car in silence; both of their thoughts were far away from where they were.

* * *

**The next day in Music Room #3…**

"Haruhi?" Called out an overexcited voice, "HARUHI!"

Tamaki picked her up and swung her into a spinning hug, "You weren't here yesterday, we all heard that Kyouya kidnapped you! How horrible! Were you forced into a day of back-breaking slave work? Did he try to murder you Haruhi? You must tell your father about the horrendous events of mother! This child abuse can not be overlooked!"

Haruhi pried herself out of his arms and moved out of the huggable distance, "Kyouya didn't kidnap me, sempai. He just took me somewhere I needed to go, that's all. You should really stop coming to these weird conclusions…"

Hikaru and Kaoru leaned over her, "Where did you two go anyways?"

"Why do you care?" She answered as she started to sift through her bags.

They sighed angrily and walked off.

_Well, they seem to be irritated at something today… They didn't even try.._

Kyouya then walked through the door and took a seat across from her as he booted up his laptop.

"Seeing as we have all of the cosplays done for the rest of the week we have no work today." He announced nonchalantly.

All heads, except for Haruhi, turned towards him.

They all screamed at once "FREE DAY!"

Honey started piling cakes onto the tables happily, "This means cake, cake, cake!"

The twins pulled out a tape measure and scissors and moved towards Tamaki, "Hey Tono... Why don't we make you a dress like Haruhi's?"

A mischievous grin appeared on their faces, while Tamaki's showed terror. "NOOO! MY MANLYNESS SHALL NOT BE RUINED BY YOU EVIL DOPPLEGANGERS!"

As they began to chase him around the room, Haruhi was in a silent fit of laughter.

Kyouya raised his eyebrow and looked at her, " What is it?"

She had to pause between fits of laughter, "Just the image of.. Hahaha!... Tamaki-sempai in a… Hahaha!... dress!"

Kyouya paused, a smile fighting to rise on his lips, he eventually joined her in laughing at the idea of a woman Tamaki.

Soon, they were both bent over in laughter clutching their stomachs, they had a hard time stopping.

But, when they did stop, they noticed the room had grown deathly quiet and all of the Host's eyes were on them.

Hikaru stomped over to Haruhi and grabbed her by the arm, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She followed him out the door, knowing that it was more of a command than a question.

When they had reached the hallway he turned towards her and she noticed the anger in his eyes.

He took a deep breath, "Haruhi.. What were you doing in there?"

"I was laughing, Hikaru. Was that what you brought me out here to talk about because I-"

"No, it wasn't. Do you know who you were laughing with, Haruhi? It was Kyouya-sempai! Kyouya-sempai of all people, the Shadow King! You were practically flirting with him right in front of all of us! Why? Do you know how much that hurts all of us Haruhi, to see you 'flirt' with him! What do you see in him? What could you possibly see in him? He is a cold, heartless bastard who is obviously using you for some scheme of his own-"

Haruhi's hand connected with Hikaru's face, hard.

She could hear the sound of it hitting and she could see his head whip to the side.

"Don't you ever say that again, Hikaru. What I do is my choice! You don't control me! What's your problem? Why the hell would you say such hateful things? He is totally different than what you describe. I have no idea why you would be that cruel to Kyouya just because I like to hang out with him! And for you to call him a 'cold, heartless bastard'? You know that isn't true! Think before you speak Hikaru! Other than hurting just Kyouya, I think you have hurt my feelings too."

"You actually have feelings for him? I don't want you to get hurt by him Haruhi, he is just hosting you! His father probably ordered him too or something, it isn't real!" Hikaru screamed in response, staring back at the also fuming Haruhi.

"And what if he's not Hikaru? What if I know he isn't! What is wrong with that? Do I have to hate him to make you happy? Because I won't do that, I know he isn't hosting me.. He is different than you think. You have to consider other people's feelings before you make judgments like this!"

Hikaru was breathing heavily now as he responded, "So, let's say he's not. What if the world was all 'lovey-dovey' and he actually liked you. Would you really like him back? There is nothing that is nice about him! He only thinks about profit for himself!"

"You're wrong Hikaru. He doesn't think about profit all the time." She turned away from him, planning on walking away when she quietly said, "And I think I would… like him"

Haruhi walked away from him, she walked down the stairs and out of the South Hall.

She walked aimlessly, her mind seemed to have stopped working, and she couldn't focus.

She then found herself at a bench in the Ouran Gardens, the same bench she had been at nights ago after the Masquerade Ball with him.

_Him... _

Haruhi wearily sat down and breathed in the cold air surrounding her.

* * *

Kyouya Ootori stood frozen at the corner of the hallway, listening to Hikaru and Haruhi argue.

He had followed the two out into the hall when they had left, not thinking about what he was doing.

So there he was, practically plastered to the wall as he listened.

Each insult Hikaru said stung him, he could physically feel pain and he pictured Haruhi agreeing with him and knew it was inevitable.

To his surprise, she didn't.

She defended him.

She argued with Hikaru.

For him.

She stood up for him.

It was as if her words were the medicine to Hikaru's, Kyouya felt happiness grow inside him as she began to talk.

He listened to her with a sense of what was a mixture of pleasure and pride until he heard her grow silent and he assumed she walked away.

But, once again to his surprise she said something totally unexpected to him, " And I think I would…. like him."

Kyouya didn't move.

He didn't think, he just stood there, completely and utterly in shock.

* * *

**Heh.  
I know it is a little short, but you will have to make due..  
Though, I did kinda like this chapter, it didn't seem too OOC did it?  
The fight scene was fun to write, as was that little snippet with Kyouya.  
Ah, I love writing Kyouya, even though this should be a Haruhi only point of view story..  
Can't help it.. :D  
Review, review, review people!  
I love you all! We are already at 90!  
The hundredth reviewer gets something special..  
You want to know what?  
Well… I have no idea. But I will think of something!  
See you Sunday!**

**~Blue**


	13. Chapter 13

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 13: A Weekend of Fun

**Aaaahhh!  
We have reached 100 reviews!  
I am so happy!  
I never thought this story would get this far!  
Thank you all!  
Hopefully we can make it too 200 soon!  
****A special thanks goes out to I-LOVE-the-Host-Club who was my 100th reviewer, I will PM you in a few days concerning your 'prize'.  
Disclaimer: I still don't own the Host Club.. /sigh/ **

* * *

Haruhi was tangled up in her covers asleep when the sharp ring of her alarm clock dragged her up out of her bed with a groan.

_What? _She groggily thought as she switched off the clock. _Why the heck is my alarm on? It's Saturday… Maybe I just forgot to turn it off… or something yesterday.. _

She plopped herself back onto the bed and curled up in her covers again, fully planning to fall back to sleep.

But, her plans were interrupted when her father proudly strode into the room with a large smile, "Wake up Haruhi! Wakey wakey!"

"What is it? I want to sleep.. It's Saturday Dad…." She mumbled, turning away from him.

Ranka yanked the covers off of her and turned on the lights, "Too bad! It's already eight in the morning Haruhi, you need to get ready!"

Reluctantly, she sat up, already annoyed thanks to her father's idiotic antics, "And why does that matter. Like I said before, it's Saturday."

"I know! You're little friends from the Host Club called me last night and wanted too know if you could go on a trip with them this weekend. I, of course, said yes on your behalf! Now get ready! They said they would be here at nine thirty!"

He had already begun to search through her closet, pulling out various outfits and laying them on the bed for her.

"You did what? I don't want to go on this 'vacation' with them, who knows where they will take me? I would much rather stay here all weekend and relax. Call them back now and tell them I won't come."

Her father crumpled down on the floor, putting his 'puppy dog look' to full power, his eyes were huge and watery as he said, "Bu-But, Haruhi… Daddy just wanted you to have a good time… All you do every weekend is sit here at the house. Daddy was trying to let you have fun with your friends. I'm sorry.."

Haruhi sighed she couldn't say no now, "Fine, I'll go. But you aren't packing my bag this time, okay?"

His eyes lit up and the tears vanished, "Okay! Just wear one of the outfits that I have set out for you! Your friends already have a bag of clothes for you to wear once you get there, so don't worry about it!"

Ranka skipped out of the room, leaving a slightly annoyed Haruhi behind.

She looked over at the clothes on the bed and picked the least girly and revealing one of them all, it was a blue and black striped tank top with some jean shorts.

_At least he laid out something normal this time, he usually picks out the worst things.._

After putting on the clothes she popped in her contacts, brushed her teeth, and ran a comb through her hair quickly.

By eight thirty she was out in the kitchen, making breakfast.

Within seconds of her putting the two bowls of natto and rice down her father appeared.

He sat down at the table and gave Haruhi a quick look over before deeming her outfit appropriate by the 'Ranka Meter of Fashion'.

"So where am I going this weekend, Dad? You should at least tell me, seeing as this is so last minute.." She gave him a slight glare as she asked.

Her father replied with a smile, "Sorry Haruhi! I can't tell you! Kyouya-kun made me swear to secrecy!"

Haruhi sighed and mumbled under her breath, "Damn scheming Kyouya…"

"What was that? I didn't hear you?" Asked Ranka

"Just saying how wonderful this trip will be.."

She stood up and picked up both of their dishes and put them in the sink.

Her eyes glanced over at the clock, nine twenty.

_Well, they should be her any minute._

As if on cue, there was a loud knock on the door, reluctantly, Haruhi walked over and opened it.

Surprisingly, only Kyouya was there.

"Ready to go?" He asked with a slight grin.

Haruhi gave a quick goodbye to her father and stepped outside, "Where are the others?"

"In the car. You have no idea how hard it was for me to convince them to stay there."

Sure enough, as they walked down the stairs she could see them all waiting patiently in the car.

But, it wasn't their usually limousine, sitting in front of her apartment building were two sleek black BMW convertibles.

Kyouya turned towards her, "Don't even say it. We already know we are 'damn rich people'."

In the first car sat Mori, Honey, Hikaru, and Kaoru with Mori driving and in the second sat Tamaki in the backseat gesturing for Haruhi to sit next to him.

"Haruhi! Haruhi! Come here! Sit by me!" Tamaki screamed, attracting the attention of every person within a five mile radius

Kyouya walked around to the driver's seat and sat down and Haruhi quickly sat down in the passenger's seat, which caused even more yelling from Tamaki.

"Haruhi… Why won't you sit with me?" He asked, leaning up towards her.

She quickly searched through her head for a believable excuse, "Well… I… I have my contacts in and if I don't sit in the front seat then the wind gets in my eyes and it's painful."

"Ohh. I get it!" He said as he sat back down.

"Put on your seatbelt, moron… We're leaving." Kyouya said as he turned the car on and began to drive.

Tamaki quickly buckled the seatbelt and leaned back with a huff, "Why do you always get to drive?"

"Because I actually passed the driving test."

"I only hit one person, okay! One person! And they only broke two bones! It was an accident, I swear." The blonde replied, pouting.

"Uh, Kyouya?" Haruhi asked.

"Yes?"

"How are you and Mori-sempai driving anyways? Isn't the minimum age 18?"

"Well Haruhi, you see owning a large percent of the police force of Japan allows you to bypass some unimportant rules. All of us, except for Hikaru and Kaoru, have taken our driving tests. Tamaki is the only one who failed."

"Of course…" Haruhi sighed.

"Why would you want to drive in the first place if you always are driven by your own personal drivers everywhere?"

He turned towards her with a slight smile, "Because sometimes, Haruhi, we don't always want our families to know where we are going."

A hand tapped on her shoulder and she turned around to find her face to face with Tamaki, who was pointing excitedly up ahead of them.

"Look, look! Here comes the best view!" He said.

The car had taken them out of the city.

She looked out to where Tamaki was pointing and was taken aback by what she saw.

They had driven out of the tree filled, almost forest-like area that had previously covered them and were now on a road set against a rocky cliff that rose hundreds of feet above them, to there left was the bright blue green sea that practically shimmered in the daylight.

"Beautiful, huh?" Tamaki commented, noticing Haruhi's expression.

"Yeah, it is." She said, truthfully, it was one of the most beautiful oceans she had ever seen.

Haruhi relaxed back in her seat and took a deep breath, relishing the feeling of the warm sea breeze.

The wind whistled by them as the car began to go faster and her hair whipped around her face.

The car made its way onto what seemed to be a private road that was framed by large, manicured trees.

"Want to do something fun?" Kyouya asked.

A smile seemed to flash across his face as he pressed his foot further down on the gas petal, making the car shoot as fast as a bullet down the straight road.

Mori followed suit behind them, matching Kyouya's pace exactly.

Haruhi then saw that the road had a sharp turn coming up and that Kyouya wasn't going to slow down.

"Uh Kyo-" She started, only to be interrupted by Tamaki, who had a huge smile on his face.

"Just watch Haruhi, it'll be fun. He's done this before."

She sat back in her seat and tried to take his advice.

At the moment of the turn he turned the wheel quickly and the car followed, swinging itself around so fast that Haruhi felt herself pushed into Kyouya.

He then hit the brakes and sharply parked eliciting a high-pitched squeal from the tires.

Haruhi took a deep breath and looked outside; they had parked about ten feet from the edge of a large dock.

Kyouya leaned over to her with a large smirk, "Still doubting my driving skills?"

"That was so much fun, Kyouya! Did you hear the tires this time? Haha, this never gets old!" Tamaki exuberantly said from the back seat, as he stepped out of the car.

Haruhi stepped out of the car as well and watched as the rest of the club did the same.

"Haru-chan! Did you enjoy the ride?" Asked Honey as he walked towards her.

"Yeah, it was nice." She replied, staring at the long dock in front of her.

Haruhi couldn't see any boat at the end of it, "Is this where we are going?"

Hikaru answered her, "Yeah, we're staying on a yacht and going to sail around for a few days. I think the boat will be here any minute."

They walked to the edge of the dock and Honey sat down and dangled his feet in the water, "There it is!"

Pulling up in front of them was the grandest boat Haruhi had ever seen; she could practically smell richness of it.

As they boarded Haruhi looked around at the extravagant decorating and sighed for what seemed like the fiftieth time this morning.

_This shouldn't even classify as a boat. This is just a floating mansion… _

Tamaki turned around and faced her.

"As the only lady on this boat, you get to pick your room first!" He declared.

"I really couldn't care less about what room I get, sempai."

"Fine then. Seeing as I am the wonderful king, I get to pick first!"

He dashed down a hallway lined with doors.

"I choose…" He randomly opened a door and stuck his head in, "this one!"

The twins had been ducking in and out of rooms at a breakneck pace and finally found two with a connecting door.

They then called out, "We get these two!"

Honey's head popped out of a room, " I'm staying here!"

Mori walked into the next door and said, "This is mine."

Kyouya strode into a room, "I suppose this is mine then."

She chose the only other room available, it was right in between Tamaki's and Kyouya's.

When she opened the door she found herself in a huge room.

It had dark brown wood floors and a lavish carpet, in the front of the room was a sitting area with a two leather couches facing a flat screen TV.

In the center of the room was a large four poster bed and there were two huge windows that gave a stunning view of the ocean and were bordered by brown silk curtains.

_Rich bastards…_

She sat down on the couch and gazed out the window, looking at the sea, the boat must have been going quite fast seeing as they were getting farther and farther away from land.

"Like the room?" Asked Kyouya, who was leaning against the door.

"Oh. Yeah, I do." Haruhi answered calmly, she was all too used to him appearing out of nowhere, "Isn't it a bit much for a weekend trip though?"

He walked over towards her, "I suppose it is, but what does that matter? Anyway, I am supposed to inform you that we are eating lunch now. So you should hurry up."

Kyouya grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch, he then led her down the hall and outside.

There, the entire Host Club all sat at a large table covered with food, they both sat down and began to eat.

After about twenty minutes of eating various dishes Tamaki said, "All right gang, what do we want to do today?"

"Snorkling!" Said Honey

"Isn't there Jet Ski's on this thing? Why don't we try those?" Kaoru asked

"Okay! It's now official, Jet Ski's and snorkeling." Tamaki declared, standing up to make his point.

"Let's all change into swim suits and meet back here, okay?" Added the short, blonde senior

"Uh, guys. I don't have a swim suit, my Dad said-" Haruhi was interrupted by two arms snaking their way across her shoulders.

"Don't worry Haruhi, we packed clothes for you. I think the maids have already put it in your dresser for you." Hikaru and Kaoru said with matching sly grins.

_Oh gosh.. What did they pack me?_

She pushed them off of her and navigated back to her room with a sense of dread building in her stomach.

Sure enough, inside her dresser was an array of Hitachiin line clothing.

In the top drawer there were bathing suits.

She searched through them trying to find something remotely appropriate.

She eventually settled on a red one piece suit that had white poka-dots.

_At least they didn't go completely crazy with me._

Haruhi changed into it, grabbed a towel and walked towards the deck.

The boat had anchored and all of the other Host's were already waiting for her.

When she walked out they all turned to look at her, exclaiming one thing or another.

"Haha boss, told'ja she would wear that one! You owe me twenty bucks!" Hikaru said, turning towards Tamaki.

Honey stepped closer to her with a bright smile, "Haru-chan looks so cute, ne Takashi?"

"Ah."

Kyouya looked over at her, "You look very nice, Haruhi."

"Y-Yes, you do look good… Haruhi." Tamaki turned away, his face bright red and fainted.

Honey grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the edge of the boat where a seven Jet Skis were lined up, "We are going to take these over to where the water gets shallower and then swim and go snorkeling! Won't that be fun?"

"Yeah, it seems like fun..." Haruhi replied.

By this time, Tamaki seemed to have recovered and he said, "Alright! Lets go!"

"Wait.. Uh, I don't know how to do this. I've never been on one of these before.." She said

Hikaru jumped on one and turned the handle making it shoot forward, "It's easy, just turn the handle to go and point it in the right direction."

"I guess I'll try it." She said reluctantly.

Haruhi tried to copy Hikaru's move of jumping from the boat to the seat, but slipped.

She braced herself to hit the water but instead found herself hauled backwards by a strong arm.

"Idiot." Kyouya said letting go of her, "Just get on it the normal way. I'll help you."

He let her use his arm as support this time and she hopped on shakily.

Then, all of the other Hosts jumped on the their Jet Ski's.

_Just twist the handle and point in the direction you want to go._

_Okay, I can do that._

She settled into her seat and twisted the right handle, just as Hikaru had done, she shot forward quickly and let go.

"Hold it down lightly." Kyouya said, as he effortlessly glided by her.

She took his advice and turned the handle only a slight bit and watercraft floated along at a reasonable pace.

"Follow me!" Shouted Honey, as he angled to their right.

She followed him, watching as the others weaved in and out of their line spraying each other in the face with the water that they were spraying from the back of their Jet Ski's.

_This is actually fun. _She thought, just as Hikaru cut across her, hitting her with his wake and completely soaking her.

"Can't catch me, can you?" He taunted.

Haruhi twisted the handle of the watercraft more, shooting past him quickly and smiled in satisfaction as she left him soaking.

Feeling somewhat successful and adventurous she spied Kyouya just ahead of her and darted in front of him, splashing him in the process.

"Really Haruhi? Two can play at this game."

Kyouya sped up and quickly drove around her in circles, practically drowning her in his wake.

Tamaki drove towards him, "Hey! Don't be cruel to my daughter!"

Then he turned the handle of his Jet Ski and rammed into Kyouya, causing both of their Jet Ski's to lean so far over, they were almost perpendicular to the water.

Honey then called out, "Hey! We're here! Yay!"

They had arrived at a small sand bar that was surrounded by deeper water and various coral reefs.

All of them ran their Jet Ski's into the sand and then hopped off.

"See Haruhi, wasn't that fun?" Honey asked as he waded into the water with a snorkel and mask.

She laughed, "Yeah, it was."

The rest of the club had already started swimming; Haruhi sat down at the edge of the water, picking out shells from sand.

Kyouya sat down next to her, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing really, I don't feel like joining the water fight that the twins and Tamaki-sempai are having and I don't think I want to go with Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai snorkeling right now."

"Why don't you and I do something then?" Kyouya asked

"Like what?" She said, standing up.

"Wait and see."

He led her back to his Jet Ski and hopped on, gesturing for her to get on the back.

Haruhi jumped on the back of it and wrapped her arms around his stomach, trying to find a way to hold on.

Kyouya turned the handle of it until it was at full speed and he sped away from the sandbar, "Ready?"

Before she had a chance to answer him, he pulled the Jet Ski into a sharp turn and he leaned with it.

Haruhi unaware of what to do, leaned the opposite way and the Jet Ski flipped over and they skidded out onto the water.

She held on to Kyouya as they fell in the shallow water, somehow they became tangled up in each other when they hit the bottom.

Both of them rose up quickly, gasping for air.

"What happened?" Haruhi asked

"You leaned against me, which made us flip. Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, are you?"

"Yeah. We've got to get back on now. Next time we turn, just lean with me." He swam over to the Jet Ski and flipped it right side up.

Kyouya pulled himself up onto it and reached out his hand to Haruhi and pulled her up.

She wrapped her arms around him again and scooted closer, "Okay, let's try this again."

He started off a little slower than before, but still at a fast pace, and headed towards a large rock that stuck out of the deep water.

He stopped the Jet Ski right in front of it and let Haruhi get out before anchoring it.

Kyouya stepped onto the large rock and sat down; letting his feet hang in the water.

Haruhi sat next to him and listened as he said, "I think this is my favorite place around here. You can watch what everyone else is doing and you really don't have to get involved yourself. It's nice."

She followed his gaze out to where Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki were playing and she felt detached, but content.

"I think I know what you mean." She said softly as they both gazed out at the view around them.

Kyouya wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Haruhi felt herself turn towards him and she felt his lips gently close the gap between them. She closed her eyes and let herself be moved even closer to him and kissed him back slowly deepening it as she snaked her arms around him.

She felt him pull away from her and he whispered, "I like you Haruhi."

"I like you too Kyouya."

* * *

**Dawww...  
That was cute, don't you think?  
Now that Haruhi and Kyouya have admitted their feelings for each other there is so much more I can do!  
****Ahh, this story has grown so much since it started.  
Once again, all of you reviewers are amazing!  
Can't believe we are at 100!  
So keep reviewing and maybe we can reach the next goal of 200! A  
That would be unbelievable!  
Keep it coming, you guys are great!**

**~Blue **


	14. Chapter 14

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 14: The Sunset

**Ah, hello my wonderful readers!  
How are you doing?  
Ready for another chapter?  
That's good, because here you go!  
(If you find any mistakes in this chapter, tell me.. Sadly, I am only human, so I do make some …)  
(Oh, yes and I-LOVE-The-Host-Club... I will contact you when I think of a satisfactory prize... Don't be discouraged, it'll be great. We just have to wait a few chapters.) **

* * *

Haruhi's eyes scanned the pages of her book, enjoying the story as well as the warm feeling of sunshine raining above her.

The Host Club had returned to the yacht and it was now roughly five o'clock and the sun had just started to fade.

She was laying out on the deck of the boat and she closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the soft breeze blow around her.

Haruhi sighed; summer really was her favorite season.

Just as she began loose herself in her book once again, a dark shadow fell on her.

She looked up and was only mildly surprised to see Kyouya leaning against her chair.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked, walking over to the chair next to her and pulling out his laptop.

"I guess I am. So far this trip has been enjoyable. But next time, please don't just randomly surprise me like this, I kind of like to plan ahead when my weekend is taken over by a bunch of lunatics.."

Kyouya smiled slightly and looked at her, "Well, we all know that there is no way you would go with us if we simply asked you. You would come up with some excuse and leave. All of us want to bring you places and enjoy things with you, but you never seem to want to come. So this is the only way. And don't go grouping me in with all of them, you don't truly think that I am a 'lunatic', do you Haruhi?"

His smile grew wider as he watched the blush spread through her face, "No matter, I also need to tell you that there is going to be dinner in an hour or so. I think there might even be some ootoro on the menu, you never know what Tamaki has up his sleeve."

She put her book on the floor, knowing she wouldn't get a chance to read it for a little while and asked, "Oh, did Tamaki-sempai organize all this?"

"Surprisingly, he did. He came to me with the idea, seeing as I am the only one out of the six of us whose family yacht was available and organized the whole weekend. It's interesting what he can do when he puts his mind to it.."

"Yeah, it is. He's-"

Her sentence was cut short by a loud shriek from their right, both of them quickly turned towards the source.

"Speak of the devil…" Haruhi said standing up.

Tamaki was flapping around in the water wearing heavy clothing and screaming as the twins stared down at him, bent over laughing.

Kyouya walked over to him, shaking his head, "What are you doing, idiot?"

"HEEEELLLPP! Kyouya! I'm drowning!" He screamed.

Kyouya reached his hand over the side of the boat and pulled Tamaki up, "How did you get in there in the first place?"

Haruhi saw Hikaru and Kaoru begin to sneak off, still trying to contain their laughter.

Tamaki cried out, "My beauty! It's ruined!"

She snickered, "I think your 'good looks' will be fine."

He looked up towards her and scooped her into a hug, "You must be the angel rescuing me from my pit of despair, I-"

Haruhi pushed herself out of his arms, she was now soaking wet, "Thanks, sempai… I'm going to go change now."

She trudged back inside the ship and to her room.

* * *

"What did I do?" Tamaki asked, looking back towards Haruhi.

Kyouya pushed up his glasses and sighed, "You just hugged her and got her completely soaking wet. That alone would make anyone mad."

Tamaki pulled off his layers of wet clothing and dropped it to the ground, eventually leaving himself with only a pair of shorts on.

"Why were you in the water with all of that clothing on in the first place?"

His blonde friend looked down sheepishly, "Well… The twins were telling me this old commoner's tale that said if you put on a bunch of cheap clothing that you can float in the water. They said that commoners couldn't afford to have life jackets so they weaved a special buoyant material into their clothes that made them float... And well, I believed them and then they pushed me in head first and I sunk."

"Sometimes, you really are a moron Tamaki… That has got to be the worst planned prank ever made by the twins."

He sat down in the chair and took a deep breath.

Tamaki sat down and turned towards him, "So…"

"How's it going with Haruhi?"

Kyouya shifted in his seat, almost feeling uncomfortable.

_Of course, he of all people would ask that question._

"It's going well, why?"

He tried to keep his voice as level as possible.

Kyouya noticed Tamaki's eyes flicker to the ground and then back at him, "I just wanted to know, that's all."

Honey ran out towards them then, "Tama-chan! Tama-chan! I heard you went for a swim with your clothes on, didn't you?"

_I suppose now is my time to leave._

Just as he was about to stand up, he noticed a book laying on the floor.

He recognized it as Haruhi's and quickly grabbed it and walked back inside the main cabin of the boat.

As he navigated through the hallways of the ship, he turned the small book over in his hands, flipping the pages as he walked.

Soon, he had found his way to the hallway that contained their bedrooms and he walked over towards Haruhi's room.

Her door was slightly ajar and he pushed it open silently as he entered.

Just as he was about to call out her name he noticed her standing with her back to him at the dresser.

She was wearing nothing but her under clothing and he stopped dead in his tracks.

Kyouya practically stopped breathing as he slowly backed out of the room and closed her door.

His heart pounded in his chest and he felt his face flush as he sank down against the wall.

_What the hell just happened?_

_She…_

_Oh god.._

That image would be forever burned in his memory.

_I am a pervert._

_An idiotic pervert_

_I can't get the image of her… in her…_

He banged his head against his hand in defeat.

_Damn this photographic memory._

_It isn't really that horrible, is it?_

_Yes, it is. _

_I am so embarrassed right now that I am actually blushing._

_That definitely falls under the category of horrible._

…_.._

_Perhaps she didn't see me?_

_That might help a little bit._

He stood up.

_I should-_

The door opened and nearly hit him in the face; luckily, he ducked out of the way and found himself directly in the path of Haruhi.

Not knowing that he was there, Haruhi walked straight into him and they both fell down onto the floor.

They were probably in one of the most awkward position possible.

Haruhi was on top of Kyouya and she was pressed against him with her head inches from his.

He didn't think he could move, nor did he think he wanted to.

It felt… nice?

Nice to be this close to her.

Her eyes registered shock and it seemed to take her a minute to form words.

"K-Kyouya?" She stuttered

"Yes?" He replied with a cool smile

He watched as Haruhi's eyes widened and her face turned a bright shade of red.

She quickly jumped off of him and stood up, "Oh! I'm sorry I-"

In the process though, she banged the back of her head against the wall causing her to bend over and let out a low curse.

Kyouya stood up as well; he pulled her back inside her room and set her down on the couch.

He gingerly placed his hand on the back of her head, "Does this hurt?"

She drew in a quick breath, "Just a little.."

"Just lie down for a second and breathe, okay?"

"Mmmkay." Haruhi murmured as she laid down, her head in Kyouya's lap.

His breathing hitched as he felt the all too familiar warmth flood in his face.

_Oh, how I am glad she is the only one who can do this to me._

_I cannot even think of what the others would say if they saw this._

"My head really hurts…" She moaned as her hand reached up towards the swollen spot.

Kyouya grabbed her hand and slowly placed it back at her side, "Don't touch it that will only make it worse. If you lay here for a few moments it should feel better."

He leaned over her and checked her eyes for signs of dilation.

There were none.

"You seem to be fine. Though, your head will probably hurt to touch for the rest of the night."

Haruhi sat up slowly and took a deep breath, "It actually is feeling better than before now. Thanks."

She turned towards him with a smile and he smiled back, "Your welcome."

His eyes flickered towards his watch, " Dinner is in five minutes. I'll need to change."

"Oh, I suppose you should do that then. I already changed." She stated as they both stood up.

He swiftly made his exit and walked into his room next door.

* * *

As Kyouya left, Haruhi took a deep breath.

_I guess I should get to the dinning room._

She opened her door and took a step out into the hallway, but found herself glancing at the room next door to hers.

_I wonder if I should wait for him…_

_I mean.._

_Well, I really do want to, but what if it seems creepy?_

_Never mind. I am turning into an airheaded idiot._

_I just need to go now and stop thinking about this._

She walked down the hallway, trying her hardest not to look back at his door.

Haruhi made her way into the main part of the cabin and sure enough, Tamaki, the twins, Mori, and Honey were all sitting at the table, laughing and talking.

She took one of the only two empty seats and sat down, trying to listen to the conversation.

"Haruhi! You're here finally!" Tamaki exclaimed.

Honey turned towards her with a smile, "We were all wondering where you and Kyo-chan were!"

"Yeah, where is Kyouya?" Tamaki asked, turning towards her expectantly.

"Oh. He said he was going to go change and meet me here. I guess he'll be here any minute now." Haruhi said, nonchalantly glancing over her shoulder looking for the man in question.

"Kaoru! It's five-fifty-eight! Do you think the almighty Kyouya-sempai might be late for something? Could it be possible?" Hikaru smiled devilishly at his brother.

"Perhaps it could be. It just turned five-fifty-nine and still no Kyouya-sempai. What could this mean? I don't thi-"

Kyouya coolly strode in and took the only empty seat which conveniently happened to be next to Haruhi.

"Aww. Come on.. You had to ruin all the fun." Kaoru whined.

Kyouya shot him a slight grin, "Don't ever assume I will be late."

Tamaki turned towards all of them with an obnoxiously large grin, "Alright everyone, lets eat!"

OoOoOo

Haruhi leaned back in her chair contently, her stomach was filled with exquisite foods, including much ootoro, and she was more than happy right now.

That was, until Hikaru suggested they play a game.

He suggested poker.

And of course the entire Host Club adamantly agreed.

As they were dealing out card and chips she reluctantly admitted, "Um, guys. I don't know how to play.."

Six heads looked at her in shock.

Tamaki stood up, "Haruhi? How can you not know how to play? I though even common folk like you were taught! Oh, woe is you, for I bet that your evil master has forbidden you and your family from learning seeing as the Underground Society of the Common could use it to work against the rich! Do not despair my darling daughter! I will save you from this wretched curse!"

A hand promptly hit him on the head as Kyouya said, "Idiot. Just shut up and teach her how to play."

Four pairs of eyes lit up at the suggestion and made there way over to her.

OoOo

After about thirty minutes of bickering and various fights, Mori finally stepped up to Haruhi and handed her a piece of paper.

She quickly read the page and her eyes widened, "Oh, I get it! Thank you Mori-sempai."

Tamaki turned towards Mori, "What did you right down?"

"Mmm." He replied stoically.

Honey quickly dealt out cards, as she re-read the paper she had been given.

All of the Host's took their seats.

OoOoOo

Hikaru and Kaoru (They play as a team) won the first round.

Kyouya won the second.

Kyouya won the third.

Tamaki won the fourth.

Mori won the fifth.

Kyouya won the sixth.

Haruhi won the seventh.

Mori won the eighth.

Kyouya won the ninth.

Kyouya won the tenth.

OoOoOo

Tamaki collapsed on the table, "Oh I give up!"

He pooled his measly stack of chip together, "I never win this! It's so unfair!"

Hikaru leaned back in his chair, "Yeah, it really isn't, Kyouya-sempai wins every time we play."

"I find this game completely fair." Kyouya said smugly as he glanced down at the large pile of chips in front of him.

"I guess it is fair, but all of us can't even compete with Kyouya…" Haruhi said, her eyes flickering over to the person in mention.

"I quit." Tamaki said in defeat as he collapsed back in his chair with a look of over exaggerated despair.

"Us too." The twins said in unison.

"Me and Takashi don't want to play either." Honey agreed.

Haruhi stood up and pushed her chair back in, "I guess that I'll quit too."

She made her way outside onto the main deck, the night air was cool and quite.

She walked towards the edge of the boat and leaned on the railing, the sun was just about to set and a gold light was cast upon the water.

Haruhi heard the door slide open that led from the cabin to the deck and she slowly smiled to herself, already knowing who it would be.

Slow footsteps made their way over to her and someone stood next to her.

She turned around, wondering what Kyo-

"Tamaki-sempai?"

Standing next to her was none other than the 'King' of the Host Club himself.

He smiled and his head tilted to one side, "Hi, Haruhi."

"Oh, hello.."

"Waiting for the sun to set?" He asked, turning back towards the water.

"Yeah, I suppose. Is that what you are doing here?" She asked.

"Actually, it's not."

Haruhi looked back at him, "Then why are you out here?"

"Well, I wanted to be with you, you are the prettiest girl on the ship." He smiled again.

_What did he just say?_

"O-Oh.. Thank you, Tamaki-sempai.." She looked away from him.

Tamaki turned back to the setting sun, "Haruhi?"

"Yes?"

She looked over at him, his face was beginning to turn red.

"D-Do you think that when we get home Sunday, that you and I could go on.. a date?"

Haruhi's mind seemed to freeze for a moment.

_Did he say, a date?_

_With him?_

_Tamaki-sempai?_

She looked up at him and saw the hopeful expression on his face.

"I-I can't sempai… I'm very sorry. You are a nice guy and you are fun to be around, but, I can't go on a date with you." Haruhi looked down.

He took a small step back and smiled slightly, "Oh.. That's okay, don't worry it's fine. I think I understand."

She looked up at him now as he said, "It's Kyouya, right?"

Haruhi stiffened and felt her face grow uncomfortably hot.

"Yes" She forced out, her voice small and hushed.

Tamaki smiled again, "I'm glad. He's a really great guy when you get to know him, although many people don't. "

She forced herself to relax and leaned against the railing of the boat, "Yeah, he is.."

She saw Tamaki's eyes flicker behind him and he said, "Well, I guess I should go now. Leave you to your thinking."

He ruffled her hair with one hand and left.

Haruhi once again stared out at the slowly setting sun, it was only halfway visible and cast an unearthly pink and gold glow against the sky.

The boat was slowly trudging through the dark water below and she could see the swift waves lapping up against its sides.

She flinched and then slowly relaxed as a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Haruhi" Kyouya said softly into her ear.

"Kyouya" She replied, still staring at the sunset before her.

"I heard your conversation with Tamaki."

"You did." She said quietly.

"You turned him down." He stated.

"I guess I did."

"Thank you." He whispered.

The sun set, it had vanished on the horizon.

The light had disappeared, only to be replaced by the calming, cool presence of darkness.

* * *

**Aw.  
That was cute.  
I don't know why I had the poker scene in there though.  
I guess I have always been intrigued by the idea of Kyouya killing everyone at poker.  
Heehee, it makes me laugh.  
This was a relatively short chapter...  
I think it was satisfying though.  
Took me a while to write, seeing as I wrote it all at one time, after a day of classes.  
I usually write half of the chapter on Tuesday and then finish it up on Thursday.  
I was just lazy this Tuesday though, so I guess it is my fault..  
Lets send in those reviews people!  
I can see you out there just clicking **_**Story Alert **_**and I know you can do better than that!  
Heh, that was the motivational speech for today.  
See you all Sunday. (Let's hope… O.O)**

**~Blue**


	15. Chapter 15

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 15: Strawberry Cake

**First of all, I apologize for not updating yesterday..  
I was unbelievably busy and I needed to catch up on sleep.  
Sorry..  
So.. About 24 hours late, here we go with chapter 15!  
Tell me if you happen to see a mistake in this chapter... It was written while I was half asleep...**

* * *

Haruhi groaned as sunlight hit her eyes.

She turned over and tried to bury her head in the pillow beneath her, but it was no use, she was already awake.

_Why can't I just sleep like a normal person…_

_I always have to wake up instantly.._

_Great.._

_Maybe if I just lay here for a while I can fall back asleep._

She yawned and pulled the covers closer around her.

_I wonder what time it is.._

Haruhi opened her eyes slowly and glanced at the clock a few feet away from her.

She could barely make out the numbers, it was seven forty-five.

"Mnemm.." She groaned quietly.

_Much too early to be getting up, especially on a weekend._

_I doubt any of the Host Club will be up at this time.._

_Actually, it might be pretty quite without them up._

_I could eat some breakfast and maybe finish my book.._

_Hmm, I guess I already am awake. _

Haruhi sat up slowly and yawned again.

Reluctantly, she pulled the covers off of her body and stood up.

Her eyes flickered towards the opened curtains in front of her that had let in so much light.

_I really should have closed them.._

She shuffled over to the door, gradually waking up with each step.

Haruhi left her room and peered down the hallway, all of the other doors were closed and the whole yacht seemed to be silent.

_I guess none of them really have woken up yet._

_Odd._

She walked down the hallway and to her left, and found herself in a large sitting area with a few large couches and a comfy-looking chair.

But, as she was walking past, she turned and saw none other than Takashi Morinozuka sitting there watching her.

"Oh, Mori-sempai! I thought I was the only one up."

He looked at her with a stoic expression on his face as normal, "Hmm"

She sat down on the couch awkwardly, "So where is Honey-sempai? Not up yet, right?"

"Actually he-"

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan!" Honey squealed as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Haruhi flinched, "Oh, good morning Honey-sempai."

"I am up so early, isn't it great? I woke up because I thought Takashi would be lonely. He always wakes up really early."

Mori looked at Honey seriously as he said, "Mitsukuni."

The short blonde looked back at him in confusion for a moment, but the expression quickly vanished as he sat down next to her on the couch and said, "Oh yeah, right."

Haruhi looked at the pair in confusion, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Well Haru-chan… Do you like Kyo-chan?"

_What?_

_Did he just ask me that.._

_Great._

_Did this news get broadcasted to everyone in a five mile radius?_

She could already feel her face begin to redden and her hands drummed awkwardly on the side of the couch.

"Well.. Um.. I guess I do." She looked downward, "Why does it matter to you?"

Honey smiled and tilted his head slightly to the side, "Because we want to know, silly! You and Kyo-chan are cute together!"

Even though she had doubted it was possible, her face turned even more red.

"Uh.. Thank you Honey-sempai.." Haruhi said as she stood up, "I'm going to make some breakfast, do you guys want any?"

_I don't even know what to make, hopefully they'll say no.._

Honey stood up as well, "Yay! Haru-chan is cooking for us! This will be great, right Takashi?"

Mori's turned towards her and nodded, "Yes, it would."

He was soon pulled off his feet, though, by an overexcited Honey and was led into the kitchen where Haruhi stood.

She turned around, completely unsure where the food would be.

_Why the hell is there such a big kitchen in a boat?_

_Who needs this?_

"Haru-chan, what are you going to make?" Honey asked cutely.

"I don't really have anything in mind. Actually, have no idea where to start.. What do you two want?" She asked.

"Hmmm. I want…. Cake!"

Haruhi looked at him and almost sighed.

_Of course…_

"Honey-sempai, shouldn't you eat something more… breakfast-like for breakfast? Maybe we can have cake at lunch, but, not for breakfast.."

He looked up at her with large puppy-dog-like eyes and she almost crumbled.

Haruhi quickly looked towards Mori for help and he said, "Just ask the cook to make you something. You shouldn't force Haruhi to make you food Mitsukuni."

_There is a cook here?_

She felt like an idiot.

_Of course there has to be, who did I think made lunch and dinner yesterday._

Haruhi sighed and looked down at Honey; his eyes seemed to fill with tears as he said, "B-But… I wanted Haru-chan to make me a cake… I can wait till lunch to eat it…"

She already knew where this was going and she sighed again.

_I really have no choice._

_He is going to cry if I don't and then Mori-sempai will give me a look and I will have to make him that cake. _

_Might as well do it now._

She smiled weakly, "I'll make you a cake, Honey-sempai. But you have to promise not to eat it till after breakfast, okay?"

His eyes lit up and his tears vanished, "Thank you Haru-chan!"

_Crocodile tears… _

"I guess I'll get started then." She said half-heartedly as she turned towards the massive fridge.

_What should I even make?_

_Chocolate cake?_

_Do they even have chocolate to make it with?_

_I think I should make strawberry, I know we have some strawberries around here…_

_Maybe I should put chocolate shavings on top so that Honey-sempai isn't upset that it isn't chocolate cake._

_Hmm…_

_I'll go with that._

Haruhi wasn't surprised that all the needed ingredients for a cake were here and more, the Host Club always seemed to be over prepared when it came to luxuries.

She turned the oven on to four-hundred degrees and began to chop and mix ingredients until it was heated.

Soon, she had three pans filled with a vanilla cake batter that was thick and sugary, she pulled open the oven door and quickly shoved them all in and closed it with a bang.

She turned on the timer and started to chop some strawberries into small pieces and mixed them with the icing she had made.

_This actually looks pretty good._

_I hope Honey-sempai likes it, I swear if he has me make another one I will collapse on the couch.._

_This is very tedious, but these strawberries taste delicious.._

"Mmm." She said happily, licking some of the icing off of her fingers.

Haruhi quickly cleaned off the counter and threw away all the extra food.

Just as she finished, the timer went off for the oven and she darted over towards it.

She slipped on an oven mitt and pulled out the first cake pan and then the second.

She was in the process of taking out the third and last cake pan when a voice called out to her from across the room.

"Haruhi? What are you doing?"

Haruhi's head involuntarily whipped around towards the sound.

"Oh, Kyouya I-"

Haruhi cut herself off in her own shock, while turning around her hand had brushed against the burning hot metal of the stove.

She bent down and held her burnt hand against her body, softly muttering curse words underneath her breath.

She felt an arm yank her upward quickly and rush her over to the sink, she heard the sound of the water running and her hand was pulled underneath it.

The cold water felt unbelievably refreshing on her hand and the incessant stinging soon faded away to a dull throb.

She looked to her left where Kyouya was still standing, holding her hand underneath the water.

He turned towards her, "Are you okay?"

"I think I am, it doesn't hurt that much anymore. Thank you, you moved very quickly and it helped." She looked back at her hand; the once bright red color it had was now starting to disappear as well.

"It really was my fault, I apologize. I shouldn't have distracted you while you were… baking.." He pulled her hand out of the water and inspected it, "You'll be fine, the burn isn't serious. But even so, you really should be more careful next time. You could have really hurt yourself."

_He…_

_He is holding my hand still._

Kyouya's arms wrapped around her and he pulled her into a hug.

She felt his lips lightly brush against her neck and moved closer to him.

Then, a totally irrelevant thought entered her mind and she pulled away from him.

"Oh! The cake!" She quickly turned around and went back to the oven and pulled out the last cake pan and placed it on the counter.

"Honey-sempai wanted me to make him a cake and I really couldn't say no when he has 'that look' in his eyes." Haruhi said as she took the three layers out of there pans and began icing them.

Kyouya walked over towards her and looked at the cake, "What flavor is that?"

She raised an eyebrow, "It's strawberry."

_Oh wait._

Haruhi turned around toward Kyouya, "Wait a second, it's only nine in the morning and I noticed you are awake and not screaming at people? I thought you had a record of being the Low Blood Pressure Demon Lord?"

He chuckled, "I can't say that I am not surprised myself. I just happened to wake up a few minutes ago and couldn't get back to sleep. I think the salt water has done something to my internal clock."

As she finished icing the cake, she took a step out of the kitchen and into the sitting area where Honey and Mori were talking, "Honey-sempai, your cake is done."

Honey turned around and his eyes lit up as he said, "Thank you Haru-chan! Can you cut me a piece please and then come and eat with us? Bring Kyo-chan too!"

"Oh, okay." She turned around walked back into the kitchen towards the cake.

_I guess it isn't that much more for me to cut it for him.._

Kyouya was still standing where she had left him; he seemed to be deep in thought about something.

She waved her hand in front of his face and said, "Kyouya? Honey-sempai wants us to come out and eat cake with him. Would you like any?"

She had cut two pieces already and had set them on plates and was looking towards him for an answer.

Kyouya snapped out of his thought and looked at her, "I suppose I'll try it.. I am not much for sweets."

Haruhi glanced up at him and then back at her plate.

She picked up a fork and took a piece of cake off her own plate and held it up to him.

"You should at least try it first to see if you like it. There is no use in having me cut you a piece if you don't eat it."

Kyouya looked back down at her with a mixed expression, it looked somewhere between surprise and amusement.

He placed his hand over hers on the fork and brought in up to his mouth and took a bite.

Haruhi turned away from him, somehow feeling awkward, even though she had no idea what had caused it.

She grabbed two other forks and placed them on the plates, only to be interrupted by Kyouya's voice.

"I think I'll have a piece Haruhi. It actually is very good, you're a great chef."

She felt a slight warmth appear on her face and she turned away from him again towards the cake and cut him a piece.

They each grabbed a plate and headed out towards Honey and Mori.

* * *

Kyouya sat down on the couch directly outside the kitchen.

Haruhi was giving Honey a piece of cake which elicited many loud squeals of happiness from the short blonde.

He looked down at the piece of cake sitting on his lap at the moment.

He took a bite of it and relished the rich sugary taste.

Although he rarely ever enjoyed sweets, he did find this cake to be delicious.

_Perhaps it is because it was made by her?_

_I assume that plays a small factor in me enjoying this cake but I think Haruhi is really a good cook._

He took another bite of it and swallowed.

Haruhi sat down next to him and he noticed her quickly glance at him and then revert her eyes back at Honey.

He could still see the faint red color on her cheeks from earlier, it made him smile.

Kyouya looked over at Honey and Mori who were sitting across from them and asked, "Do either of you know where Tamaki or the twins are? I would assume that they would be up by now."

Honey smiled and said, "Well, I think Tama-chan and them were up late last night talking about something. They must be tired."

Mori nodded in agreement.

_Interesting. _

"HARUHI!" An all too familiar voice called out.

"Do you just wait for us to talk about you to come in…" Haruhi muttered underneath her breath.

Tamaki came running into the room and sat down on the other side of Haruhi as he exclaimed, "Oh my darling daughter I have returned from my heavy slumber! Were you struck with grief while I was missing?"

Kyouya watched, amused, as Haruhi slowly scooted away from Tamaki and said, "I can't say I was.."

A small grin flickered over Kyouya's face as he said, "Tamaki, where were you? You woke up later than I did. That in itself has to be a mentionable feat."

Tamaki turned towards him and his eyes flickered upward, "Haha. Well, Hikaru and I were talking about who would win in a fight between Beary and Usa-chan… We ended up staying up a lot later than we normally do."

Tamaki looked around the room, "The twins aren't even up yet, are they? Ooh, Haruhi! What are you eating?"

Haruhi looked down at the remains of her cake and then back at Tamaki, it seemed like she was going to say something but Honey interrupted her with, "We are all eating Haru-chan's great cake! She made it for us!"

Tamaki stood up and exclaimed, "I need a piece of that cake!"

"It's in the kitchen.." Haruhi said almost reluctant sounding.

Tamaki ran off towards the cake in over exaggerated motions.

"Idiot" Kyouya muttered under his breath with a slight smile.

* * *

Haruhi laid back in her bed and sighed in relief.

She was back at her own home, finally, and it was completely silent.

_Hah, it's only four twenty-six in the afternoon and I feel like I want to curl up and go to sleep._

_I'm glad the Host Club finally brought me home, I still have a bunch of work left to do.._

_Not that I necessarily want to do it.._

She looked back at the cell phone in her hand.

She had been staring at it for about five minutes now, unsure about how to reply to what was sent to her.

**From Kyouya (4:21):**

** Would you mind accompanying me to an event my family is holding Tuesday?**

_I don't know why this is bothering me so much.._

_I should just give him an answer and be done with it._

_I guess it is just the fact that the idea of meeting his family scares me.._

_Really scares me…._

_Though, I guess it shouldn't, what is the most that could go wrong?_

_Other than them all hating me or me embarrassing myself in the world of the rich._

_I don't even know.._

_I should.._

She sighed and laid back down against the pillow.

Haruhi pulled out her phone and typed one word.

**Yes.**

* * *

**Heheheh…  
Haruhi is going to meet the Ootori's and whatever guests might be at this little event.  
Fun, huh?  
Sorry for the fact that this chapter was late, had little to no fluff and was a little bit short.  
I have been so busy this weekend it is insane.  
I still have stuff to do today that I am putting off to write this  
Bleh…  
I really would like to sit around and write all day but that definitely wouldn't work.  
Ah well, I will not be late for the next chapter. Heehee..**

**~Blue  
**


	16. Chapter 16

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 16: Preperation

**Hello wonderful readers!  
Ready for a new chapter?  
That's good; just tell me if you see any errors in it…  
I can't catch them all…  
Well, anyways here is chapter 16!**

* * *

"Dad! I'm going to be late! I have to leave now!" Haruhi called as she tried to push her way towards the door.

Her father clung to her and whined, "But Haruhi!"

Ranka had been trying to wheedle out every last detail of her trip and was rather unsuccessful in persuading her.

She pulled his hands off of her with a quick precision that probably came from dealing with Tamaki's quite similar rants.

After pushing him off of her she grabbed her book bag and raced towards the door, hoping she wasn't caught.

_He has been trying to get the details for this trip out of me for the past day.._

_Apparently a two minute long list of the things we have done isn't good enough for him._

_I have to tell every single fact about what we did._

_This probably reaches the 'Tamaki-sempai' level of annoying.._

"Bye Dad, see you tonight!" Haruhi quickly called out behind her as she slammed the door shut and leaned back against it.

She sighed in relief.

_Hopefully he will get over this by tonight, when he gets off work._

After checking through her bag to see if anything was forgotten in her scramble out of the house, she peered down at the street.

A small smile appeared on her face as she saw the familiar black limo.

_I am such an idiot sometimes.. _

She walked down the stairs and pulled the limo door open.

Only to find two grinning faces staring right back at her.

"Haruhi~" Hikaru and Kaoru called out in a sing-song voice.

She tried to take a step backwards and was reluctantly pulled back into the car.

The door shut behind her and the twins laughed as their eyes glinted, "Now, now Haruhi.. Don't try and escape so fast. We're just trying to give you a ride to school."

_Great.._

_They are giving me a ride to school?_

Haruhi sighed, took her bag off her shoulder and leaned back against the seat.

Hikaru turned towards her with a slight smile, "Yeah, Kyouya-sempai was doing something early this morning so he couldn't pick you up. He called us to do it for him today."

Kaoru leaned closer to her and continued his brother's sentence with, "He also told us that you were going to the business party that the Ootori's are throwing Tuesday night and we have decided that we will be in charge of your dress for the evening!"

"Uh, I think I can handle my own clothing. It's fine." She said, feeling slightly offended at their lack of faith in her dressing style.

_Then again, there really isn't much I could wear out of my closet._

Both of them leaned into her, "Nope, sorry. Like we said, we already made the decision for you. We won't let you back out now!"

Haruhi pushed them off of her, "No way! You guys can't just go around making decisions for me like that, I'm not a child!"

Her eyes narrowed as they innocently sat back in their seats and looked at each other.

The look that passed between the two of them sent shivers down her spine.

Kaoru turned towards her, "Haruhi, it's not that we don't think well of you, it's just that you really don't know the type of people that will be at this event. All of them will be judging you, especially since you are with Kyouya-sempai and you don't want to embarrass him or to have your poor dressing skills somehow reflect onto him, do you?"

Haruhi's eyes flickered downward and then back at the Hitachiin twins.

Just by looking at their eyes, she knew she had lost already.

She took a breath and sat up in her seat, turning towards them in the process.

"Alright then. There will have to be rules about this dress." She stated.

Smiles lit on both of their faces.

Haruhi continued, "Nothing too frilly or unnecessarily girly."

"Got'cha!" They replied energetically with thumbs up.

"Keep the dress at least fingertip-length.."

"Okay!"

"You guys are too happy about this. What do you have planned?" She asked, suspicious.

They leaned in to her in perfect synchronization as they wagged their fingers, "No fair! We aren't telling you yet. That would ruin the surprise of tomorrow!"

Haruhi groaned, "Just tell me, I'm going to be wearing it anyways. Why hold out?"

The car rolled to a stop as they pulled up at the entrance to the school.

Their lips turned up into matching grins as Hikaru said, "Because that would ruin all the fun, wouldn't it?"

* * *

The buzz of voices filled the air as Haruhi walked across the courtyard of the school.

Classes had ended and she found herself lazily walking towards the South Hallway.

Hikaru and Kaoru had disappeared the moment the bell had rung and she was glad.

Usually, they walked her to the Host Club and half-annoyed half-entertained her on the way there.

For once, it was good for her to have some alone time.

She walked into the South Hallway and found herself in silence.

_It's strange how there is never anyone in here by the time club starts._

_I guess everyone bolts out of here._

_I wonder why, it is actually quite beautiful in here if you like this type of décor._

Haruhi listened again, nothing but the faint _puff _sound that came from her feet on the carpeted stairs was heard.

_Tamaki-sempai must be sleeping or something because he isn't ranting today._

_Or if he is I can't hear him._

As she mused on the idea of a silent Tamaki having to act out all of his commands like a mime she opened the door to Music Room #3.

She broke herself out of her own reverie and looked around.

As far as she could see, there was no one here.

_No one?_

_But I am sure we have club today._

_Kyouya said we did._

_I would have known if it was canceled. _

Haruhi scanned the room again and was shocked when she heard a voice appear out of what seemed like nowhere, "Oh Haruhi, you're here."

Her eyes looked over towards the source of the sound and she found Kyouya.

He was sitting in one of the window seats with his laptop on his lap and he glanced over at her with a small smirk.

"Where is everyone else?" She asked, looking around the room once more.

He shut his laptop, "We have a change of plans for today. We are hosting outside, it's another themed day. We are having a 'Grand Picnic' as Tamaki calls it. It was only arranged a little while ago, so we couldn't inform you of our plans earlier. So I stayed behind while everyone else is setting up so that I could tell you."

"Oh thanks. Why the change in theme so suddenly?"

Kyouya stood up and began to pack up his laptop, "I don't exactly know. Tamaki just came to me and told me that we absolutely had to do this. It was easy to comply with and very easy on the budget so I obviously agreed."

As they began to walk out of the building Haruhi asked, "Where is this picnic exactly? How would we have time to set it up? I was out in the courtyard just a few minutes ago and all of the nice grassy areas are covered with people."

He pushed open the door of the South Hallway and let her step through as he said, "We are going to the indoor garden in the East Hall."

She turned towards him with her eyebrows raised, "We have an indoor garden here?"

"Of course we do, don't you ever pick up a map of this school?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes and kept walking.

After a minute or so, they had reached the East Hall.

Kyouya led her through many different corridors and up two staircases.

Finally, they reached a single ornate door and pushed it open, revealing a beautiful site.

She looked around at the springy green grass covering the floor and the multiple rose bushes that grew.

Vines weaved their way across the walls all the way up to the ceiling that was made of only glass.

The room seemed to extend on forever; it was the size of Haruhi's neighborhood park. \

Her eyes widened as she saw a small stream trickle through a group of cherry blossom trees.

"Haruhi!" Five voices yelled out.

She turned around towards the rest of the club and smiled, "Hey guys."

They all lounged around what had to be the centerpiece of the room, a large intricate fountain.

All of them wore decorated kimonos and smiled back at her as they began to talk to each other.

Hikaru and Kaoru jumped up from their spot at the base of the fountain and pulled her off towards an almost unnoticeable door.

They handed her a folded up kimono that matched the other's and she ducked into the room.

As soon as she finished changing Haruhi stepped outside with a smile and began to host.

* * *

The next day flew by very quickly for her.

Morning turned to afternoon and soon she was seated in the back of the Hitachiin's car.

Her nerves began to get to her and she laced and unlaced her fingers over and over.

_Why the heck am I so nervous?_

_This is just a party._

_Nothing big._

_Just a bunch of rich people, nothing I haven't handled before.._

"Uh, Kaoru?" Haruhi asked, "What type of event is this? What's going to happen at it?"

Kaoru turned towards her from across the limo, "It's nothing to be worried about. It's supposed to just be a small get-together for some of the Ootori Group's clients and personal friends. I think they are formally introducing a new company they will be partnering with."

"Oh." She said, trying to relax.

"I think the company was Karena-something. Maybe Karenawa? I don't know. Our parents just told us about it two nights ago. I doubt it matters much though." Hikaru added.

Kaoru leaned on his brother, "But, what does matter is that you are going to steal the show! The dress we designed for you is absolutely perfect!"

Haruhi laughed nervously, "Trust me, I don't want to stand out that much.."

"Is all of the Host Club coming?" She asked, placing her hands in her lap.

"Yeah. We were all invited." Hikaru said as he jumped out of the car, pulling Haruhi with him.

She looked up at the massive mansion before her and gulped as the twins pulled her farther and farther in.

* * *

Kyouya Ootori straightened his tie in the mirror.

He was wearing a sleek black suit with a red silk tie.

_I suppose this will do._

He ran a hand through his hair and pushed his glasses farther up on his nose.

For him, this night had to run smoothly.

He knew it was a risk inviting Haruhi to this event.

Normally, when it involved his family everything was a risk.

_This has to be the best option though._

_Its better for me to show her to them now then have them prying into my own affairs later and then finding out about her._

_Also, I would much rather have her accompany me to this event then some other air-headed heiress._

"Kyouyaaaa!" An over exuberant voice called out.

He turned towards the door as his sister, Fuyumi, strode in with a smile.

"Hello Fuyumi, any specific reason why you are here instead of with your husband?" He asked.

She pouted and walked over to him, "Come on Kyo-chan, don't be that mean to your big sister.. An emergency happened in the Switzerland offices of his company and he had to go and help. You can't blame me for being lonely, can you?"

Kyouya sighed, "I suppose I can't."

Fuyumi sat down on his couch and stretched out her high-heeled feet, "Ah, aren't you excited for the party Kyo-chan? You seem so gloomy!"

Kyouya looked up at her, "I am not excited for this introduction party at all to tell you the truth. But, I don't think I'm acting gloomy either."

His sister smiled and rebutted with, "Yes you are gloomy; you are standing over there like you wish you were anywhere else in the world! Am I really such a bad sister?"

He grinned at her over exaggerated motions of woe and sat down, "I just don't find the idea of a three hour business 'party' fun."

Fuyumi sat down with a huff and folded her arms, "It is not just a business party. We get to dance and socialize and eat! It is fun!"

"I'm sure… Now, I would appreciate it if you would leave. I need to finish getting ready."

She stood up and began to walk towards the door, but she abruptly stopped and turned around.

She snapped her fingers, "Ah! I remember! Father told me to send you up to his office."

Kyouya blinked.

_Odd…_

_Father wants to talk to me; I wonder what that's about._

He stood up and followed Fuyumi out the door and walked down the hall.

He briskly walked up the spiraling staircase, checking his watch.

_5:30, almost time for people to start arriving._

As Kyouya reached the top he ran a hand through his hair and adjusted his tie again.

Then, he walked down the long hallway and to a large ornate door at the end.

He knocked twice and was rewarded with the prompt response of "You may come in."

His father's office was a large, simply decorated space.

There were two sleek couches at the first part of it, which his father used mainly for guests, and his desk, large and imposing, was at the other end of the room.

Behind it was a wall of glass that gave the perfect view of the outside world.

Right now, the curtains were drawn on the window and his father sat at his desk typing away at his computer.

Kyouya walked towards the single chair in front of the desk and sat down, calmly waiting for his father to finish.

After a few minutes, Yoshio Ootori looked up at his son.

"Kyouya, let's talk about something rather serious."

* * *

Haruhi stepped out of the limousine with Hikaru on her right and Kaoru on her left.

She sighed in relief, after what seemed like hours of putting on makeup and making adjustments to her dress, the twins had finally declared her worthy of going to this party.

As the two boys walked her into the Ootori mansion she sucked in a breath.

It was huge.

Right now they were in a large ballroom that seemed to be filled with people of all sorts.

From elderly German men to giggling teenage girls this room was somehow still filled with the most elegance she had ever seen.

As she was walking in she got a glimpse of herself in one of the many large windows.

She looked at the reflection in the window with a detached feeling.

Her hair was long and dark, thanks to a new wig, and her face looked flawless.

Her dress was a light cream color that had a black silk sash tied around the waist.

It was strapless but somehow held up and gave her a chest; it was floor length and had small black flowers stitched across the bust and waist.

The black embroidery contrasted well with the dress and with her skin, Hikaru had said.

Still, somehow she felt totally different then herself.

Haruhi tried to shake the feeling as Kaoru pulled on her hand, murmuring that they were late.

She looked around the large room, trying to get an idea of where Kyouya and the others were.

Hikaru looked over at her and asked, "Have you seen anyone else?"

She shook her head no.

A song began to play and couples began to dance.

The three of them scanned the room looking for a familiar face.

Haruhi felt a tap on her shoulder, "Hmm?", she turned around.

Kyouya stood facing her with a small smile.

"May I have this dance?" He asked, extending his arm out to her.

She blinked and then smiled in return, "Yes"

She took his hand and the music grew louder, signaling the start of the first dance.

* * *

**Ahh!  
I can't wait for the next chapter!  
I really want to write it!  
It'll be so much fun  
A new character comes in soon and some of my favorite parts happen.  
Ah, it'll be great.  
Super thanks to I-LOVE-The-Host-Club who unknowingly helped me figure out a major plot point in this story. :D  
I must pat all of my reviewers on the back, we are already at 139!  
Nothing can compare to checking my email and seeing ten new reviews.  
I love you all for your support!  
See you all Sunday for the 'Ootori Group Event' chapter!**

**~Blue**


	17. Chapter 17

**Here we are at Chapter 17.  
There will be a new character featured in this chapter that was created by the one and only I-LOVE-The-Host-Club!  
This is their prize for being the 100****th**** reviewer..  
Heheh.. Sorry it took a while, but it's worth it.  
I hope I did okay with the character.  
Woo, this chapter took way too long to write.  
I think I had writers block during half of it.  
If any of you see a mistake in this chapter, tell me and I will do my best to fix it.  
Anyways, let's go!**

**Disclaimer: I still am not the owner of Ouran High School Host Club nor will I ever be.**

* * *

Haruhi flashed a smile at the elderly lady standing before her who said, "Oh, it's so nice to meet you Haruhi. Kyouya here usually never has any preference with the girl he escorts to these events. But, he must really like you if he turned down his father's recommendation and brought you instead."

The woman smiled at her and her eyes flickered over to Kyouya, "My, you really have grown into a handsome young man, haven't you? You're doing so well in following the footsteps of your brother's it's remarkable!"

Haruhi watched as Kyouya's hand twitched, but, he quickly morphed into a cheerful expression and said, "Thank you very much Hanitaru-san."

The lady gave a good-hearted chuckle, shook his hand and hobbled away.

Haruhi glanced over at Kyouya and asked, "How can you even handle keeping a cordial expression throughout all of this?"

"It's pretty simple actually. I suppose it is just like hosting. All you have to do is tell them what they want to hear and match your outward emotions to it." He replied.

"So you just lie to them? Isn't that a little harsh?"

He pushed up his glasses and looked at her, "No, I don't lie to them at all. I just simply give them the exact things they want from me. I play the role that I have at that moment, whatever works for them and makes them the most comfortable. It is easy and painless."

Kyouya linked his arm in hers and pulled her towards an older couple.

"Oh, Kyouya, how are you?" Asked the man, he had short black hair and a stubbly beard.

"Just fine Kiamore-san, how are you?" He replied with another, most likely fake, smile.

The woman, she presumed it was Kiamore-san's wife, turned towards Haruhi curiously, "And who is this?"

With an inward sigh she decided to take Kyouya's advice and put her 'hosting smile' on, "Hello, my name is Haruhi; it is very nice to meet you both."

The couple smiled back at her and Kiamore-san said, "Oh, hello. My name is Satori Kiamore and this is my wife Kaguza, it's also very nice to meet you Haruhi. Are you enjoying yourself so far?"

_Not really._

_I have just been introducing myself to people for the last hour, it really isn't that interesting._

_I guess I can't say that, can I._

_I've got to play the part…_

"Yes I am. It's been very interesting meeting all of these new people. I have gotten to speak to so many important business owners, such as yourself."

She hoped that was a satisfactory answer and let out a breath when Satori smiled at her and asked, "I understand that you are a high school first-year at Ouran Academy. What are you planning on studying when you get to college?"

"Well, I plan on going to the law division of Ouran's colleges and studying to be a lawyer."

Satori gave a small chuckle and turned towards his wife.

Kaguza smiled at her, "That's great, I know you'll make it, it seems like you have the potential. Give us a call if you are ever in need of work once you get started, we could always use another lawyer with us."

With that the couple turned around and walked away.

Kyouya turned towards her with a smirk, "See Haruhi, that wasn't that hard, was it? You didn't have to flat out lie and it wasn't too harsh."

She let out a sigh, "Fine, fine… You were right, the technique works."

"You should know by now that I am always right." He said with a low voice as he pulled her towards the other side of the room, "I believe there is someone here who has been looking for you."

Almost as if on command, Tamaki made his way toward them with an insanely large smile on his face, "Kyouya! Haruhi! I found you!"

But, he seemed to stop in his tracks as his eyes passed over her.

She watched as his face turned bright red and noted that his eyes seemed to linger on the spot where Kyouya's arm was locked with hers.

Haruhi stepped forward; unhooking her arm from Kyouya's and waved her hand in front of Tamaki's face.

"Uh, Tamaki-sempai?" She said, looking for signs of life, "Don't you think you are over reacting? You do this every time you see me in a dress, and that has been pretty often these past few days..."

He snapped out of his personal fantasy and took a step back, "What? That wasn't because of you… I… I was thinking about something else! Yes, not you, something else!"

She took a step towards him with a grin, "Were you? If that's the case than what were you thinking about?"

Just as Tamaki seemed ready to faint Kyouya stepped in with an amused smile, "Haruhi, you should leave him alone, you know he isn't good at coming up with lies on the spot."

"Kyouya! I was- it wasn't a lie!"

"What ever you say.." He said, pushing his glasses up, "Previous matter's aside, are you having a nice time Tamaki?"

"Yeah, I am. Your family always does a nice job.. Anyways, I wanted to ask who-"

Tamaki broke off mid-sentence and stared at something behind them, Kyouya and Haruhi both turned around.

Haruhi looked back at Tamaki with confusion, "What is it sempai?"

He looked back at her and then at Kyouya, "I-It's my grandmother. She's here. I'm sorry, I have to go!"

Tamaki quickly pushed his way through groups of people and disappeared from their sight.

"That's odd.." Kyouya remarked, staring at the place Tamaki had disappeared to.

"What?" She asked.

"I didn't think that his grandmother would come. Usually she handles most of the business at her home and lets Tamaki's father make appearances. The Chairman is already here as well, so there should be no reason why Tamaki's grandmother would come here in the first place."

Haruhi blinked, thinking about what he had said, "Well, she is the President of the Suoh Company, right? Maybe there was something she needed to take care of that the Chairman couldn't."

"If that was the case then what she would be doing? All of the companies here are partners with us and none of them need to make any other partnerships with the Suoh's. I believe that something odd is going on here." Kyouya replied

She stepped towards the place Tamaki had gone and looked around.

_Where is he?_

_I'm sure he has found his grandmother by now, maybe he can tell us what is going on._

_Where…_

She then saw the familiar blond patch of hair on the other corner of the room.

He was standing close to a girl she had never seen before and he was obviously using his 'hosting abilities' on her.

The girl pushed a strand of her long dark hair behind her shoulder and laughed.

"Haruhi? What are you-"

Kyouya stopped talking as he followed her gaze to Tamaki.

Haruhi watched as Kyouya took a step back in what seemed to be surprise and then he quickly regained his composition.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing that you should be concerned about." He looked around the room, " Would you mind if I leave you for a moment. There is something going on that needs my attention right now."

"Oh yeah I'll be fine." She said, glancing back towards Tamaki and the mysterious girl.

"We have a buffet table set out over there," He pointed to their left, " You should go and get yourself something to eat, I'll head over there when I'm done."

"Sure."

She watched as Kyouya slipped through the crowd.

_I wonder what is so important.._

_I hope nothing is going wrong._

_For some reason things always seem to go wrong at moments like this._

_Maybe it has something to do with that girl I saw Tamaki-sempai talking with._

_Kyouya did seem to freeze when he saw her._

_I don't think I have ever seen Kyouya freeze before._

Haruhi made her way over to the table of food Kyouya had told her about and picked up a few pieces of delicious looking fish.

She found her way to one of the small chairs and tables that had been places throughout the room and sat down.

_I wonder what time it is.. _

_I've definitely been here for at least an hour; this has to end soon, right?_

She noticed a stern-faced man walking towards her.

His glasses flashed in the light and his eyes seemed to bore holes into her.

He stopped directly in front of her table and said, "Hello, I presume you are Haruhi Fujioka."

_Who is this?_

She stood up and shook his hand with a smile, "Yes I am, and you are?"

"Yoshio Ootori."

_This.._

_This is Kyouya's father?_

"I have heard about you. You are the commoner who was accepted into Ouran Academy on a scholarship, the girl who dresses like a man and participates in Tamaki Suoh's club."

She blinked, "Yes that is me. What is it you want? If you are looking for Kyouya he isn't here."

His glasses flashed again and he looked at her curiously, "You are very different then I expected.."

"What do you mean?"

She watched as a smirk appeared on Yoshio's face, "So you haven't seen Kyouya around lately?"

"No, he had something to take care of."

"Good." He said quietly as he turned around and walked away.

_What was that about?_

Haruhi sat back down and picked up a piece of fancy tuna.

_It's as if he just wanted to observe me._

"Was that my father?"

She turned around to see Kyouya leaning over her chair, looking at his father talk to another couple.

"Yes."

Kyouya sat down in the chair next to her, "What did he say to you?"

She turned towards him, "He just introduced himself and left. Where did you go?"

A voice floated up from behind them, "Oh, are you Kyouya Ootori?"

Kyouya looked behind him and stood up, "Yes I am."

Haruhi followed suit and stood next to Kyouya.

_She's the girl from before!_

_The one Tamaki-sempai was talking to!_

The girl standing before her had long, dark, wavy hair and her dark blue eyes seemed to cut through Haruhi.

She wore a strapless white dress that fit her body perfectly; it had ruffles that covered her entire chest area; the bright color of it seemed to separate her from everyone else.

_I'm sure Hikaru and Kaoru would obsess over her dress._

Kyouya smiled, "You must be Mrs. Ayume Karenazawa, it's very nice to finally meet you."

He shook her hand lightly and asked, "Are you enjoying your stay in Japan so far?"

It took Haruhi a second to understand that Kyouya had switched to English.

_So she is from America or Britain_

"Yes, it's very beautiful and different here. I absolutely love the culture and the people, it's wonderful." Ayume replied in English, her voice seemed to flow silkily through the air.

_I'm so glad I took English courses.._

"And who is this?" Ayume asked pointing towards her.

"Hello, my name is Haruhi, I am glad to meet you Ayume. Would you like to sit down?" She replied in perfect English.

Ayume smiled at her, "I am very happy to meet you as well Haruhi" She sat down on a couch next to Haruhi, "Both of you speak English very well."

Kyouya sat down and said, "Thank you. Your Japanese is exceptional."

He turned towards Haruhi, "The Karenazawa family has recently moved here from America. They own a very successful company there and we are partnering with them as they come to Japan to expand."

"Oh" She said.

_So that's why she is speaking English._

_But that doesn't explain why Kyouya reacted to seeing her so strangely._

_I don't know why I keep thinking about this but it seems important._

"Yes, my Father has been talking about the great Ootori family for months now. We really owe a lot to you and your family for helping us start in a new country." Ayume said with a soft smile.

"And we owe you too; we know that your future success will help us as well." Kyouya smiled as well.

_He is really turning up the charm.._

Ayume stared at Haruhi with a peculiar look in her eyes and then turned back to Kyouya.

"So how do you two know each other?"

Kyouya's eyes flickered over towards Haruhi, "We both attend Ouran Academy."

Ayume put a hand to her face, "Oh, so you two are in the same class?"

"No, Haruhi is in her first year and I am in my second."

Ayume tapped one of her long red nails against her leg, "Forgive me if I am wrong, but, in Japanese don't you refer to your older classmate with a '-sempai' attached? But, I heard you two talking a minute or so ago," She pointed to Haruhi, "And you referred to him as 'Kyouya' not 'Kyouya-sempai'… I guess you guys are really good friends, right?"

Haruhi plastered on a smile, "Yes, I guess we are."

Then, a blonde haired boy quickly walked up to Ayume and grabbed her arm, "Ayume, you need to return back to Father now. He requests your presence."

She nodded and turned back to Kyouya and Haruhi, "I'm very sorry, I must go now."

"I'll see you both later!" She called out in Japanese and followed the boy.

_That was odd.._

"Who was that boy?" She asked Kyouya.

"Kaio Karenazawa, her brother. I believe he is the same age as you." He said, leaning back against the chair with a sigh.

"If they are originally from America why are their names Japanese?"

Kyouya looked over at her, "Their mother is Japanese and I think their father had been planning on moving to Japan for some time when he met her. From what I have heard they adopted the mother's name thinking it would be better for them if they ever decided to move there.

"Oh."

After a minute of silence Kyouya asked, "What did you think of Mrs. Ayume?"

"I don't exactly know. From what I have seen, she seems like a very nice person. But.. How do I put it? Something about her seems off to me."

Kyouya leaned forward and pushed his glasses up, "Interesting deduction.."

Then, the buzz of talking throughout the room stopped and everyone was quiet.

The lights in the room dimmed and Yoshio Ootori stepped into the middle of the room with a spotlight on him.

"Good evening everyone. I would like to welcome all of my loyal clients and friends who are gathered here tonight. Throughout the history of the Ootori Group we have added new partners and gathered new clients, tonight we add a new name to our ranks. This company has had unbelievable success in America and has now chosen to expand to Japan. We at the Ootori Group are partnering with this business to help them ground themselves in our country and to share in the profits of their inevitable success. Please join me in welcoming the Karenazawa Company."

Yoshio stepped out of the light and was replaced by a middle-aged man with light brown hair and bright green eyes, "Thank you. My name is Kano Karenazawa and I am very glad to be associated with the Ootori Group."

As Kano continued talking Haruhi turned towards Kyouya and asked, "Kyouya, what does the Karenazawa Company specialize in?"

"Well, they are mostly a mother company in America; they have many branches that deal with hundreds of different things. But, in Japan they plan on staying and expanding one branch only."

"And what branch is that?"

"Law. The Karenazawa's had a massive law firm in America and they plan to make connections here and they will accomplish their goal. From what I have heard they are very good at what they do."

She blinked, "Oh.. That is probably why Kiamore-san chuckled when I said I was studying law."

Kyouya's eyes flickered over towards her; he had a small smile on his face, "Perhaps."

He sighed, "Well, this 'party' seems to be coming to a close." He gestured towards the speaker, "He will soon be done talking and then everyone will say prolonged goodbyes and leave."

He turned towards her, "Would you like me to escort you home?"

Haruhi's fingers twisted together, "Oh, no that's fine. I'm sure you have something to do here that would be more important. I'll just ride home by myself. It actually is better this way. If you came, my father would only fan girl over you again."

"I find his antics very familiar to a certain French idiot we both know." Kyouya said with a grin, "I will call a car for you then?"

"That would be great."

He stood up and extended his arm to her as they walked towards the exit.

Kano Karenazawa stopped speaking and a thunderous applause followed.

Soon though, it died down and the buzz of voices once again began to take over.

Kyouya held open the door for Haruhi as they walked out into the slightly chilly night air.

_Of course.. _Haruhi thought as she saw the already waiting car in front of her.

She looked up at Kyouya with a slight smile and said, "Goodnight."

He leaned down and swiftly and gently placed his lips against hers.

"Goodnight." He replied after pulling away.

She took a quick breath and got in the car.

He turned around and walked back into his home.

Neither of them saw the dark blue eyes watching them with a sense of disproval and sadness from the balcony above.

* * *

**Heh.  
I liked that chapter.  
It was nice and long.  
I have much in store though *evil laughter*  
Do you want to know what is going to happen soon?  
You want to know why the evil laughter was needed?  
Well, you should review then.  
Yup, you should do it.  
Oh, and by the way I might have to update on Friday instead of Thursday.  
I have a play practice on Tuesday and Thursday during the exact times I usually write and update, so I know I won't be able to make it by Thursday.  
Heh, sorry! :D  
See you all Friday then!**

**~Blue**


	18. Chapter 18

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 18: Let the games begin

**Sorry that I am a bit late!  
My family wanted to go out to dinner last night, so I really couldn't turn that down..  
Woo! I am getting way too busy these days.  
Tell me if you see any mistakes in this chapter please!  
Heh.  
This chapter has a lot of Kyouya POV in it. Heehee. I love writing him.  
Chapter 18 here we go!**

* * *

Kyouya sat at his desk with his head rested lazily on his hand; there was fifteen minutes until the start of class and he was surprisingly happy doing nothing.

Tamaki, on the other hand, was quite busy ranting on and on to him about 'The Great Adventures of Tamaki and Antoinette'.

"Yeah, Antoinette and I were out playing yesterday in the garden and this huge squirrel came up and attacked us! It was so weird!"

Tamaki continued talking as Kyouya blocked him out and retreated to his own thoughts.

_Why the hell does he have to talk so much…_

_Can't anyone just sit without being bombarded with questions?_

_I do wonder where he was last night though.._

_The more I think about it the more sure I become._

_There was no way that his grandmother was there; she wasn't even recorded as entering the party._

_She never leaves Suoh Mansion #1 unless on business._

_And this event wouldn't have counted as business to her.. _

_That means that Tamaki must have lied._

_But why?_

_What would be so important that he had to lie to us both?_

_I don't know.._

_Yes you do._

_You just don't want to believe it, do you?_

_..._

_It is true._

_I did see him with Ayume._

_But what business could he have with her?_

_From what I saw it seemed more like he was charming her than simply greeting her._

_And what would be the reason for that?_

_I greatly doubt that he just bumped into her._

_He looked like he was going to faint when he saw her though._

_Like she was a nightmare._

_What did he do?_

_Maybe he was ordered to do it._

_That would make sense.._

_He would never disobey a direct order from his father or grandmother._

_But why would they order him to flirt with her?_

_Would they want him to court her?_

_To steal business?_

_That wouldn't be necessary; they are already quite affluent on their own and the Karenazawa's are already partnering with us._

_To outright steal our clients would be unforgivable._

_Especially one as promising as the Karenazawa's.._

_Perhaps I am over thinking this._

_Maybe his grandmother was really there or he was doing something completely different._

_There are many other ways this could have happened._

_I-_

"Kyouya?" He felt a sharp jab in his back, "What's wrong? You seem very out of it today."

Kyouya blinked and looked back at him, "Tamaki?"

Tamaki smiled, "Yes?"

"What did you have to talk about with your grandmother about last night?"

He watched as Tamaki froze and his eyes flickered upward.

"Or perhaps I should ask what you were doing with Mrs. Ayume last night?" Kyouya smiled as he said this, realizing he had won already.

Tamaki looked downward with a sigh, "Fine, fine… I really can't lie to you, can I? I was just ordered to be friendly with her by my father. She's nice."

_And I was right._

_Interesting._

_Tamaki's father.._

_I wonder if my father has caught on to this._

_It seems likely that he would._

_He was very alert that night._

_Hmm.._

_And then he was talking to Haruhi last night as well.._

_Of course he would talk to her the minute I leave her side._

_Probably wondering what was so important about her._

_I bet he was very surprised to realize there was nothing devious up my sleeve that night._

_Haruhi had said that he merely introduced himself politely and then left._

_But, I doubt that._

_My best guess is that he tried intimidating her or questioning her in someway._

_He must be wondering what I am doing._

_Especially because I turned down his offer earlier that night._

The scene began to replay in his head.

_His father leaned over the table and stared Kyouya in the eye, "Kyouya, let's talk about something rather serious."_

"_As you know, the Karenazawa's are going to be a large source of income for us in the future, they will become very well know in this country soon and we need to stay on their good side."_

_Kyouya sat still in his chair and returned his father's stare._

"_- Although we do have a sealed deal with them, this could be broken easily if they favor another company over us. We need to secure our position as their main partner in this business deal Kyouya. To start this 'friendship' with them, I would like for you to escort Mrs. Ayume Karenazawa tonight and make sure that she appreciates our family."_

_Kyouya kept his face blank and free of any emotion as he said, "I am quite sorry father, but I cannot agree to this offer to escort Ayume. I apologize but, there are many ways I can accomplish that task without escorting her tonight. I have already picked someone to escort and they are on their way here, I would find it to be unforgivable and rude if I left them."_

_With that he stood up from his chair and quickly walked out of his father's office, feeling a pair of angry eyes watching him the entire way._

He sighed and rested his head on his hand.

_That was quite rash of me to stand up to him like that._

_It probably will only cause more trouble for Haruhi and for me in the future._

_She is lucky that he didn't even make a move to 'inconvenience' her because of my mishap last night._

_I should keep a close watch on her and my father if I want to keep this situation under control._

_But, there is nothing more that I can do right now regarding that situation, I have acted and it is time to see how he will react._

Then, the bell rang signaling the beginning of class and snapped him out of his own thoughts and back into the real world.

* * *

Kyouya sat in a plush chair in his room with his computer in his lap; he was aimlessly clicking away on it before he snapped it shut and stood up.

He was restless.

He had been this way ever since he had gotten home.

He had finished his homework and studying within ten minutes of arriving here and had been trying to occupy himself for the past hour.

Thought swirled around in his head and the last thing he could do was focus.

For some reason, he felt anxious.

_I don't think I have truly felt anxious in quite some time._

Kyouya walked across his room and out the door.

He quickly turned left and then right, walking down a flight of stairs and then a corridor.

He walked almost methodically his mind somewhere completely different.

But then, as he took another turn he saw someone out of the corner of his eye standing in the hallway, staring.

The man's dark, short hair and his gaunt features were all too familiar to him.

He had thick eyebrows and a small pair of glasses perched on his nose which glinted in the light.

_Akito.._

Akito Ootori looked down at Kyouya with a smirk, "Oh hello younger brother, how are you? I bet you are just fine, living the life of the third son, following all the rules."

The second Ootori son took a step forward, " I've heard you turned down father's recommendation of escorting Mrs. Ayume Karenazawa, Kyouya… I also heard that the person you turned her down for was nothing more than a idiotic commoner classmate of yours. What a generous act.."

Akito stepped back with a sneer, "I would recommend that you never do that again or you could find yourself in more trouble than even you could handle."

Kyouya took a deep breath in and walked away, he knew that talking back to his brother would only fuel his fire and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

_I should have known he would be here, but for him to confront me like that.._

_And about personal matters.._

_That bastard has no right to talk to me like that._

He quickly walked towards the kitchen, hoping to avoid any other people.

But, his luck seemed to fail him because there, right in front of him was his father.

"Oh, Kyouya you're here. Let's talk."

* * *

Haruhi wondered to herself what the heck she was doing as she was pulled into a mob of people.

She had been hijacked on her way home from school less than an hour ago and forcefully brought here.

She grabbed the arm in front of her tightly and didn't let go until they had exited the crowd.

"Tamaki-sempai, what are we doing?" Haruhi asked looking behind her.

She looked at his and the twins grinning faces and sighed, they had dragged her here claiming it was going to be the 'Most Fun Ever' and she didn't believe them.

"Come on Haruhi, can't you see!" Tamaki waved a hand in front of them, "We are going to a commoner's amusement park!"

She groaned, remembering how sick she usually got on roller-coasters.

Two pairs of arms snaked their way around her, "Please Haruhi, just let us have a little fun… Pretty please?"

She let out a puff of air and looked around at the various booths and rides, "Fine.. Let's start out with something simple first."

She pointed to her left, "Bumper cars."

The three men ran off with an excited squeal as they made their way towards the game.

_Great.. _

_This is going to be a long day._

OoOoOoOo

After what seemed like hours of "Oooh! What's that, let's try it!" the three collapsed on a table from exhaustment.

She checked her watch, 7:42.

Haruhi poked one of the blobs on the table, "Uhm, Tamaki-sempai.. I think we should all go home now, you seem pretty tired.."

"Mhrmms… One more minute.. Haruh-mmh." He said before collapsing again.

She sighed and sat down on the edge of the table.

_Idiots.._

_They ran around here like madmen and are now sleeping on a park table, great._

_I guess I might as well walk around for a bit, they'll be out for a good thirty minutes._

Haruhi stood up and looked around, children ran all over the amusement park with screams of joy.

She made her way towards a row of small shops that lined an alley and peered in the window, looking at the nice, but overpriced jewelry.

"Oh, hello!" A musical voice called out from behind her.

She turned around and found herself face-to-face with Ayume Karenazawa.

"Ayume-san?" She said, utterly confused by her presence at an amusement park.

"Hi! You remember me from last night, that's great! Is Kyouya here with you as well?" She looked around, her dark blue eyes scanning the area.

"Oh, no actually he isn't. I don't know where he is. My other friends are here with me, maybe you know them, Tamaki Suoh and Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin?"

She watched as Ayume's face grew red with the mention of Tamaki's name.

"Oh.." She said quietly.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you at a amusement park? This place doesn't seem as if it would cater to your rich needs." Haruhi said.

Ayume pulled up the strap of her light blue tank top and sheepishly looked away, "Well, the thing is I really like the commoner's culture here, it's so cute to see all of these little kids running around! And.. Well… I had heard that you and Tamaki were going to be here and I hoped that Kyouya would be here too. H- He's a really nice guy."

She saw an odd emotion flash across Ayume's face as she asked, "You two aren't in any sort of relationship, are you?"

Haruhi stiffened and felt her face on the verge of turning red.

"We-"

"HARUHI!" A voice screamed as a large, blonde-headed body tackled her.

"There you are! We thought you had been abducted by the police! We were all so worried that-" Tamaki cut off his rant and let go of Haruhi abruptly and stood up.

"Uhm, sorry Haruhi.. We were just worried that you had gone missing." He said in a normal tone of voice as he looked at Ayume.

She noticed his face seemed to turn a bright red and his eyes had fallen to the ground.

"Tamaki, you are here. I'm glad to see you again." Ayume said with a smile.

His eyes brightened as he said, "The pleasure is all mine, princess."

Haruhi bit her bottom lip as she watched; an odd feeling had began to fill inside of her.

* * *

She plopped down on her couch with a sigh.

She had finally returned, at 9:09, to her home and was completely exhausted.

After meeting Ayume, Tamaki had called the twins over and they had all decided on riding every single roller-coaster again for her sake.

Haruhi had found herself bored out of her mind after the sixth roller-coasted and blankly walked behind them for the rest of the evening.

All of the 'fun' they had weighed her down and she now sat on her couch with an exasperated sigh.

_Why do I have to always comply with their plans?_

"Urgh." She groaned, knowing she still had piles of homework left to do.

_And why do they always have to return me completely tired._

As she decided to do absolutely nothing she felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

She pulled it out lazily and flipped it open, looking at the screen in front of her.

**New text message!**

**From: Unknown Number**

**You never answered my question, did you Haruhi?**

Haruhi froze as the same feeling she had before rose up over her once again.

* * *

Kyouya laid back against his couch with his laptop on his lap.

He breathed out a quick sigh and clicked on a black icon.

As he scanned the screen he pressed his fingers together.

"Let the games begin."

* * *

**Oooh.  
Sounds slightly ominous right?  
This chapter is about 300-400 words shorter than normal..  
Sorry, I am literally finishing writing this about twenty minutes before I have to leave.  
My nerves are killing me right now.  
I am going to update on Tuesday, instead of Sunday.  
I have figured out that I go brain dead the day after I write a chapter, so I'll use those two days to plan and to re cooperate..  
Ahh, it'll be nice.  
Also, review people!  
I can see you story alerting over there..  
Is there something you want to see in the story? Tell me in a review.  
Guesses for what might happen are appreciated, it shows me how predictable or unpredictable my plotline is..  
Well, I'll see you all soon!**

**~Blue **


	19. Chapter 19

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 19: A Walk

**Hey everyone  
How are you guys?  
That's good.  
Tell me if you see any mistakes in this chapter, half of it was written one day and half the other day so I might have made some errors.  
I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

An excited squeal rose up out of the five girls sitting next to Haruhi as she smiled at them.

_I think if they scream like that again my ears will burst.._

_This has been going on all day.._

_I don't think I can take it._

_Just breathe Haruhi, breathe and smile. _

Today had been an exceedingly good day for the Host Club.

It was almost the end of the school year and more and more girls seemed to flock to their club as the date grew nearer.

_Maybe it is just the weather edging the girls on today, all of them seem to be so… love-struck!_

Haruhi looked up at the five girls sitting around her, all of them seemed to have blushes on their faces which only grew in intensity as she asked, "Would you ladies like some more tea?"

She reached the teapot over towards a cup.

A small, dark haired girl quickly pulled her cup away and said, "Oh no, I can't have any.. I'm watching my figure for summer."

There was a murmur amongst the other girls.

Haruhi smiled, "Why would you do that? I think you look fine already."

The girl's blush covered her whole face and she sucked in a breath, "I-Um.. Thank you very much."

Hearts leaped out of all of the other girls eyes as they turned back to face Haruhi.

_I bet that didn't help.._

The sharp ring of a bell was heard throughout the room and multiple girlish groans followed.

Haruhi unconsciously stiffened as Kyouya voice rang out, "Alright ladies, thank you all for coming today. We hope you have enjoyed yourselves enough so that we can all see your smiling faces tomorrow."

She kept on a smile as the girls thanked her and left.

As soon as the last girl had left the room and the door shut a collective sigh rose from the room.

She slumped back against her chair and took a deep breath in.

She could hear Hikaru call out, "What was with all of the ladies today? Did anyone else notice that they were going a little more crazy than normal?"

Haruhi opened her eyes just in time to see Tamaki spinning around the room as he said, "Perhaps it is just the power of summer love Hikaru! The blue skies, the flowers, the excitement of school getting out soon!"

The twins pushed him down on the floor with matching smirks, "Sometimes, you really are an idiot boss.."

Kyouya walked over to them and pulled Tamaki up by his shirt, " It is true though, today we did have a 42% product increase today and all of this week we have been steadily gaining customers."

Haruhi yawned quietly; she looked at the clock on the wall.

_6:42 already…_

_We did have a lot of people today.._

_I need to get home..._

She stood up slowly and walked over towards the back of the room where her bags were and picked them up.

She snuck her way around the room and was close to getting to the door when a high-pitched voice called out, "Hey, where is Haru-chan going?"

Haruhi looked back around at Honey and gave his as much of a death glare as she could muster.

"I'm just going home." She said, turning back around and reaching for the door handle.

But, she was pulled away by two pairs of arms and dragged towards the couch.

"Aww, why Haruhi? Do you always have to leave us?" The twins said speaking in unison.

She squeezed her way out of their clutches and sighed, "I actually have to get home sometimes. I barely got anything done last night because you three decided to hijack me and bring me to an amusement park for five hours!"

They pouted, "But Haru-"

"Nope." She stood her ground.

"What if we-"

"No way." Haruhi began to turn around.

"Please! We won't-"

Their voices were cut off as she closed the door to Music Room #3 and walked out.

"Mmrh.." She groaned softly and popped her neck.

_I really need to get some sleep tonight.. _

_I was up all last night finishing up my homework._

She pushed open the main doors of the South Hall and took a deep breath.

Haruhi found herself lazily walking through a patch of rose bushes that were at least two times taller than her.

One of their many thorns latched on to the strap of her backpack and it slipped off of her.

_What?_

She turned around and saw her bag sitting on the ground, tangled up in rose thorns.

She sighed and kneeled down next to it, slowly trying to work it loose from the small vines and thorns.

When she had finally gotten most of it untangled she quickly pulled it out.

A sharp pain came from her hand and she turned it over to see a long slice that reached from her knuckles to her wrist.

_Oww.._

_Stupid damn roses..._

A small line of blood had started to rise from it and the cut was beginning to sting.

_I have to get home._

Haruhi made her way towards the exit of the school clutching her hand and then stopped.

She turned right and then left, feeling indecisive.

_What was the bus schedule for today?_

_Crap._

_I think it picked up at Woodward street around 7:00.._

_I doubt I'll make it, hosting hours seemed to have run even later today.._

With a sigh she looked down at her watch.

_6:57.._

_I guess I can make it if I run or I can walk slowly and wait for the 7:30 bus.._

_Ugh, might as well t-_

A hand grabbed her wrist from behind.

In that split second Haruhi stiffened and fear pulsed from her body as she turned around to see

Kyouya.

_Of course.._

She relaxed a bit.

"Come on." He said as he pulled her in the opposite direction of her bus.

"Uh, I have to get on my bus Kyouya.." She said, weakly trying to pull away.

"I'll give you a ride home."

He glanced back at her, "Quite frankly, the idea of having you walk home alone doesn't suit me."

She saw a flicker of an emotion across his face that she had never seen before.

Haruhi sighed and let him pull her towards the now waiting limo, "Fine."

They both slipped into the limo and set their bags down.

She took a sharp breath in as the pain returned to her hand again.

Haruhi looked at it hesitantly and winced silently.

She felt Kyouya's eyes latched on her as he asked, "Haruhi, what happened?"

He gently grabbed her hand and looked at it.

"I cut myself on that thorn bush outside the South Hallway.." She admitted.

A faint smile flashed across his lips as he turned her hand over again.

Kyouya scooted over to a seat on the other side of the limo and opened a small drawer.

He came back over with a miniature first aid kit in hand.

"You really should be more careful Haruhi.." He said while he cleaned the cut with antibacterial wipes.

Haruhi winced at the sharp pain that came again from the cut, "Yeah, I kind of forgot about it till a minute ago."

He wrapped a long piece of gauze around the wound and taped it, "It isn't that serious, it should be fine by tomorrow. Just try not to run into any more rose bushes by then.."

"Sorry." She said with a light chuckle.

After a moment of silence Haruhi asked, "Have you heard anything more from Ayume-san?"

Kyouya looked at her, "No, I haven't. Why?"

She felt her face grow warmer, "No reason…"

"You know you are even worse at lying than Tamaki.." He commented with a smirk.

"I just ended up seeing her yesterday when Kaoru, Hikaru, and Tamaki-sempai dragged me to that amusement park."

Kyouya looked slightly confused, "You saw Ayume Karenazawa… at a commoner's amusement park?"

"Yes, she said she liked the common culture.."

He leaned back against his seat, "The files I have on her said she hates all things common, she even refused to walk in a park once because 'there were commoners everywhere'"

Haruhi blinked, "Does she know that I am-"

"I doubt it. We never gave her your last name and even if she wanted to know who you were she would have to pull some serious strings to find out information about our guests."

He turned towards her, "What did she say to you?"

She stared at him blankly.

"At the amusement park?"

She felt her face begin to grow red when she remembered.

"She asked me where you were and then asked if we were in a relationship."

Kyouya blinked, "And what did you say?"

Haruhi looked down, "I didn't have the time to answer, Tamaki-sempai inter-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence before his lips pressed against her own.

She could feel his hands on the back of her neck as they moved closer to each other.

Haruhi leaned towards him, deepening the kiss.

Kyouya responded, pressing back against her.

For some reason, the feeling she normally had when kissing him, the feeling of being frozen solid, had disappeared.

She felt warm and happy, inside and out.

His lips now trailed softly down her neck.

A small smile ran across Haruhi's lips as a plan started to form in her mind.

The smile grew just a bit wider as the car rolled to a halt.

Kyouya pulled himself off her and Haruhi opened the car door, grabbing him by the wrist pulling him out with her.

She looked back at him and felt slightly satisfied by his confused look.

"Haruhi wh-"

She looked back at him and smiled smugly, "Come on."

"What are you doing?"

"I decided that I am going to take you somewhere with no warning whatsoever like you always do to me." She declared.

She looked back at him again and pulled him down her street towards a nearby line of shops.

"And where are we going?" He said, looked around incredulously.

"A walk."

With her hand still in his she pulled him down the street and towards the world of commoners.

OoOoOo

They had walked into a small area of Downtown Tokyo and Kyouya looked around the streets, intrigued.

He pointed towards a small shop that's windows held various slices of meats and asked, "Is this where you would buy food?"

Haruhi sighed, "I suppose some people would buy food there, but not me. I mostly buy from the grocery store. It has all of these things in one place so it is much easier to find what you are looking for."

Kyouya walked over towards a large blinking shop front and looked through, "And what is this?"

Another smile flashed across Haruhi's face as she opened the door and pulled him inside, "I'll show you."

Inside there was a large room that was filled from wall-to-wall with games.

Various machines made their own distinctively loud sound as the two walked by them.

Kyouya looked around at the racing games and claw machines and raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to tell me what all this is for?"

"It's an arcade. You haven't heard of them?"

She waved a hand around, "All of these are games that you can play for a small cost. It's very fun if you're good at it."

"Hmm.."

Haruhi walked toward the back of the arcade and towards one particular game, "Here, let's try it. This one is called _Space Invaders_, it's pretty easy to start off on."

After she explained how to play the game to Kyouya she pulled out a yen coin from her pocket and inserted it in the game.

"Okay.. I'll try this 'arcade game'." He said as he stepped in front of it.

Haruhi watched, very interested in how he was going to do.

The starting screen came up with a small spaceship on the bottom and a mass of 'aliens' on the top.

Numbers flashed on the screen:

_3.._

_2.._

_1.._

_GO!_

Kyouya held down the joystick and moved it to the right and then back to the left, pushing the small button on the side repetitively until most of the 'aliens' were gone.

But, then his 'spaceship' was hit and a crashing noise came from the machine.

The 'spaceship' reappeared on the left side of the screen, but one of his three lives were now gone.

Kyouya kept hitting the 'aliens' till all of them had disappeared off the screen, then, a new batch of them appeared with a flash.

He was hit again by the 'aliens' and his ship crashed, leaving him with only one life.

Almost the second his 'spaceship' reappeared on the screen he was hit for the third and final time and the words _Game Over_

The half-angry half-determined look in Kyouya's eyes made Haruhi bend over in laughter.

She laughed so hard that she was gasping for breath in the end.

She looked up at Kyouya who gave her a small glare and inserted another yen coin into the game.

He started playing again, only to end up with the same results.

Then, Haruhi walked over to him and put another coin in.

As the game started up she put her hands over Kyouya's, "Here, I'll show you what to do."

She moved her hand on the joystick to the right and blasted a small hole in the barrier at the bottom of the screen and began shooting through it.

Soon, Haruhi and Kyouya had cleared level one.

Then two

Then three

Kyouya seemed to get what to do then and they moved their hands together, instead of Haruhi just guiding him.

After a few tries they cleared levels four and five.

Then they both failed miserably.

Kyouya began to laugh.

It started out as just a chuckle but it grew into full blown laughter and he leaned on the game.

Haruhi stared at him oddly, wondering what was so funny.

After a few minutes, his laughter died down and she asked him, "What was it?"

"I just realized that I am sitting here playing an arcade game in Downtown Tokyo and not caring what anyone else sees. A month ago I wouldn't have even considered doing this for a second."

Haruhi smiled, "Well, I guess that means you have changed for the better, right?"

"I suppose I have… changed for the better." He replied with a small smile.

* * *

**Heehee  
This chapter was nice and fluffy.  
For some reason I have always wanted to see Kyouya and Haruhi playing arcade games.  
It has been stuck in my head for a long time, ever since a reviewer wrote it as a date.  
I think it's so kawaii!  
I don't exactly know that I'll be able to update tomorrow..  
My family and I are leaving for a vacation tomorrow, but I might have some time in the morning to write a quick chapter.  
Well, I guess we'll see, right?  
Heh. :D  
I hope you are all having a nice spring so far!  
I love you all for reading..  
But, you should try reviewing.. Heehee**

**~Blue**


	20. Chapter 20

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 20: Chance Encounters

**Hello!  
Sorry it has taken me a bit to update..  
I had spring break for a while and then I had tons of work to do all last week.  
So writing couldn't happen…  
This chapter is pretty long and it has a reviewer's question/challenge thingy at the bottom.  
So check out the bottom author's note.  
I think I am going to be changing my update day to Friday..  
I have way too much things that just happen to be scheduled every Thursday, so I doubt that day will work anymore..  
On a very important side note, we are so close too 200 I am freaking out! *.*  
As always the 200th reviewer gets a prize!  
Also, tell me if you spot any mistakes through out the chapter and enjoy!**

* * *

Haruhi let out a long-winded sigh as she stared at the scene in front of her.

She was standing at the beginning of a long line of shops that bordered both sides of the street, inside their windows outfits that probably cost more than the rent on her home were modeled by realistic mannequin s, fancy perfume could be smelled wafting out of the doors as smiling clerks looked towards her eagerly.

Only a few hours ago, Haruhi was sitting quietly in her kitchen reading a book when she heard a groan from her father's bedroom.

She put down her book and walked into his room only to be met with a grumbling response of, "Haruhi darling, can you please do your father just a tiny-weenie little favor?"

She rolled her eyes and asked what it was.

After many explanations and about a whole hour of begging, she reluctantly agreed to this 'small task'.

Now, at 2:10 in the afternoon she stood at the front of a large, very expensive boardwalk with the task of picking up her father's 'oh so important'…. Dry-cleaning

She sighed again and found herself trudging into the fray of elegant looking shoppers that lined the sidewalks.

Haruhi shook her head slowly.

_Oh gosh, why did I even let Dad talk me into this…_

_How do I always get sucked into these things?_

_It's two o'clock in the afternoon! He can surely wake up by then to get his own laundry.._

_It's not like he was up that late last night.._

_And of all the places to get dry-cleaning done he has to go to this place?_

_This street has got to be filled with some of the richest stores on our side of Tokyo!_

_And he wonders where all of the money goes…_

_I bet the price of cleaning one shirt at this place is enough to buy us groceries for a week!_

_I really need to teach Dad how to take care of the money better._

She looked around, her gaze falling to the store fronts.

_Sometimes I really don't understand the culture and fashion of today.._

_Why would people want to wear such revealing dresses that are sold at such a high price?_

_They aren't even suited for everyday wear, they would get in your way during a lot of things._

_Half of the items in these shops are accessories and really unnecessary.._

_How do they even sell?_

_What is their appeal to modern people?_

_I just don't get it.._

Haruhi looked up at the sign hanging just above her head-

_Nimari's Dry Cleaning_

The black text was set against a blindingly pink background that reminded her all too much of her father.

_I can see why he would like this place.._

Reluctantly, she pushed open the door and walked inside.

A high-pitched jingle came from the bell hanging above the door as she entered and a flustering tranny jumped out from behind the counter.

"Ah! You must be Haruhi!" The man/woman said with a flourish.

"I would know you anywhere, Ranka talks about you all the time! My real name is Niono Kuzamiri, but you can call me Nimari, everyone does!" The transvestite twirled around and jumped over the counter.

_I bet he got this dry-cleaning free; Nimari-san has to be a friend from work._

_That would make a lot more sense._

He was wearing a long red puffy dress that seemed to be covered in polka-dots and a crème colored apron that seemed like it came from Misuzu and he had long flowing blonde hair that reached down his back.

"Good afternoon, my father sent me to pick up the dry-cleaning he left here." Haruhi stated, handing Nimari a paper containing the items her father had sent in.

"Just a minute honey!" He called out as he disappeared into the back room.

Haruhi's eyes flittered around the room, she found herself walked towards the window that faced the streets and peering out it.

As she gazed out at the shop fronts through the window she spotted an all too familiar blonde head of hair out of the corner of her eye.

_What?_

_Tamaki-sempai… What are you doing here?_

She zeroed in on the spot and sighed as she glanced over him again.

Ayume Karenazawa was trailing behind him, with her hand in his following him like a lost puppy dog.

Haruhi blinked, something about the picture seemed wrong to her.

Her hands twisted together as her eyes followed the pair looking at store-fronts and weaving through the crowd.

She felt a dark feeling begin to grow in her stomach as she watched Ayume's head turn towards her and her dark blue eyes lock onto her own brown ones.

She felt almost paralyzed as the girl stared at her from across the street; she seemed to be inspecting Haruhi, her eyes scanning over her.

But, Haruhi was quickly snapped out of her gaze as a loud ringing noise came from her pocket.

"Hm?" She said to herself as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

She flipped it open and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?" She turned her back on the window and found herself pacing towards the back of the store.

"Haruhi?"

She blinked, "Kyouya?"

"Yes, where are you exactly at the moment?" She could detect a sharp tone of urgency in his voice.

" I am at Niamari's Dry Cleaning in the Riogashi Boardwalk, why?"

She heard a sigh from the silence on the other line.

"Haruhi, I would like you to do something for me; please look out the window of the dry cleaner's discreetly and tell me if you see Tamaki or Miss. Ayume anywhere."

"I have already seen them, they passed by just a few moments ago and-"

"Did they see you?" He interrupted.

"Ayume-san did."

Once again there was a moment of silence from the Kyouya's line.

"I will be outside of the dry cleaning place in less than a minute, please try to get in the car as quickly as you can. I would appreciate it."

"Will you please explain to me what is going on?" Haruhi said loudly, knowing he was about to hang up.

"I will tell you when I see you."

_**Click**_

_I can only wonder what is happening.._

She sighed and sat down on a chair.

_Ayume-san and Tamaki-sempai together which is aggravating Kyouya for some reason.._

She leaned her head back against the wall.

_This is getting stranger and stranger by the minute.._

She sighed again.

"Here it is~" Cried out Niamari as he fluttered out of the back room holding a small bag of clothing and pushing it into her hands.

"Sorry it took so long!" He waved his hand towards the door with a flourish, "Tell Ranka-dear I said hi!"

Haruhi took the bag and walked out the door with a call of, "Okay, I will. Thank you!"

The minute her foot crossed the threshold of the shop a sleek black limousine that she knew all too well pulled up in front of her.

The door quickly opened and a hand pulled her into the car.

She found herself falling on Kyouya who had pulled her into the limousine and she dropped the bag of clothes on the floor.

She quickly pulled herself off of him, red already spreading across her cheeks as Kyouya said, "Drive"

The car took off towards the direction of her home and she peered out the window and got a short glimpse of Tamaki and Ayume, completely oblivious to their presence.

Haruhi turned back towards Kyouya with a glare, "Would you mind telling me what is going on?"

"Nothing of importance." He said, sitting up.

"Nothing of importance? You just dragged me off the street for no reason! That is definitely something of importance." She folded her arms and glared at him.

He sighed and pushed up his glasses leaning back against the seat, "If Tamaki would have seen you he would have made you come with them where ever they were going. Ayume is obviously jealous of you and I, but seeing the way Tamaki treats you would only make her even more infuriated. That might have resulted in something drastic and totally unnecessary from her which would probably only do you harm. So, the only realistic option at the time was for me to pull you out of there as quickly as possible."

"How did you even know that they and I were both there?" She asked, biting on her bottom lip absentmindedly.

"Tamaki had called me earlier and asked me to join them here; I politely declined of course even though he did beg."

"That still doesn't explain why you thought I would be here." Haruhi said, her eyes flickering towards the window.

Kyouya shifted in his seat, "I had called your home phone to ask your plans for the day, you had already left by then and your father told me where you were headed. I didn't think you would want to run into either of them to begin with so I did the only logical thing and called you."

He continued, "But, as for what I originally called you for, the twins have invited us to lunch at their home. I believe that all of the Host Club will be there, minus Tamaki of course. They told me to convince you that it would be worth your time."

She leaned her head against her hand.

"I don't think I have anything else to do today, unless my Dad springs another 'quick favor' on me." A small smile stretched across her lips.

He looked out the window, his eyes following the sidewalk, "How did you get all this way from your home?"

"Well, it is nice outside today, so I walked. I was planning on taking the bus home though, so that I could carry Dad's things."

Kyouya clicked a button on the side of the car seat and the window and sunroof rolled down.

He paused for a moment, his eyes almost closed as the warm summer air filled the car and turned towards her, "I suppose it is nice outside."

* * *

Haruhi let out an exasperated sigh as she looked up at the mansion in front of her.

"Damn rich people.." She muttered under her breath as she and Kyouya walked towards the large, ornate door.

Before they could even ring the bell it swung open and two bodies tackled her.

"Haruhi!~" The twins cried out as they yanked her through the door.

She turned back towards Kyouya, who was looking at her with an amused expression.

Hikaru gestured to his right and Kaoru to his left as they said, "Welcome to our home!"

"Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai are waiting for us already." Kaoru turned back towards Haruhi, "And in case Kyouya-sempai didn't tell you, Tamaki-sempai wont be joining us today."

"Yeah, he bailed on us for some 'important matter'." Hikaru said as he rolled his eyes and pulled her down a long hallway.

"I know." She said, her eyes flickering towards the ground.

Kaoru pulled open a tall wooden door and gestured for her to go first.

She stepped out into a large Parisian style garden.

A short stone gate surrounded a cobblestone patio where a large, intricately crafted table stood, covered in white tablecloth and empty plates.

Honey and Mori sat around it and turned towards them as they entered.

Honey waved and said, "Haru-chan and Kyo-chan are here!"

The short blonde raised his hand to point behind him and said, "Look! Isn't it pretty Haru-chan?"

Haruhi looked to where he was pointed and blinked.

Surrounding them was a complex garden that harbored what looked like hundreds of different trees and flowers.

They all were each a different vibrant color so that it looked like the rainbow had been painted around them.

"So.." Two pairs of arms wrapped around her, "You like it?"

She shook the twins off of her with a glare and then sighed quietly, "I guess it is nice."

They both sported matching grins as they pointed her to her chair.

Haruhi watched Kyouya sit down across from her and then the twins sit on either sides of her.

She looked at Kaoru and then back at Hikaru, who both still had smiles on their faces.

"What are you two grinning about?" She asked, suspicious.

"Nothing.." They replied, their smirks growing wider.

"If you say so.." She said, not taking the bait.

Four servants then walked up carrying large platters full of various food dishes.

Her eyes widened as she watched the delicacies placed on the table.

"All right then, let's eat!" Said Kaoru.

Haruhi picked up multiply pieces of food and put them on her plate, trying to find the ones that looked the best.

She took her chopsticks and quickly popped a sushi roll into her mouth with an inner sigh of glee.

"Mmm, this is really good." She said between bite of food.

Hikaru looked at her with a confused expression on his face as he said, "You know, I'm not quite sure if that would count as cute or gross."

She swallowed and looked back at him, "What do you mean?"

She heard him sigh and mutter, "Never mind"

Haruhi rolled her eyes at him and popped another piece of fancy tuna into her mouth, grinning with the taste of it.

She looked across the table, where Kyouya, Honey, and Mori were sitting and smiled.

Honey was humming a tune and cutely eating salmon rolls, but, he occasionally looked over towards the door that led to the kitchen with a look of longing, like he was expecting cake to arrive any minute.

Mori must have noticed as well because turned Honey's head away from the door and said, "Food first, then cake. Don't waste a good meal waiting for dessert."

"Aww, fine Takashi.." He pouted.

Haruhi's eyes flickered over towards Kyouya, who was mixing the curry around in his bowl.

She felt her face grow red as she realized he was staring right back at her.

She looked back down at her plate and ate another sushi roll.

OoOoOoOo

Soon lunch was finished and the twins dragged her out of her seat and back into the house, telling everyone else to stay where they were.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Haruhi struggled to get out of their grips and failed, "Let go!"

"No way! We have to dress you up first!" The twins stated.

She groaned and dug her heals into the ground with no avail.

She found herself shoved into a large dressing room with an armful of clothes.

"Fine.." She said, hoping she could get away with modeling only one outfit for the twins.

She barely glanced at what was in her hands as she slipped it on and she quickly pushed her feet into some (thankfully) one-inch heels.

_At least they didn't give me the five-inch ones.._

_They probably learned their lesson after I fell on them that last time.._

_Idiots._

Haruhi pushed the curtain out of the way and walked out in front of the twins.

"Oooh, we like it." They said, walking around her, "But, you need some jewelry."

They walked off towards the back of the room to grab it.

Haruhi quietly made her way towards the door and caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the way.

She was wearing a dark blue, silky dress that came down to her knees.

It had ruffles covering her chest area and a thin silver band around her waist.

_I suppose its not that bad.._

_Although, it's hardly practical. _

She quickly opened the door and slipped out of the room, finding herself in a long hallway that gave no indication of where she was.

She turned to the left and then back to the right, a puzzled expression on her face.

_Where am I?_

_This hallway is huge._

_Damn rich bastards…_

_I might as well just go, they are going to realize I am missing soon and try and find me._

With that she took a right and headed down the hall, hoping she would find her way out.

As she turned the corner though, she found herself in a large living room that had ceilings higher than her apartment building was.

_Damnit._

She looked around the room and decided to take a left.

_As long as I can find something familiar.. _

She then found herself in another hallway.

_Does this place ever end?_

_These houses are too big for their own good!_

_I might as well call out to them._

_I'm sure Hikaru and Kaoru would find me either way._

"H-"

Before she could even get a full word out she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist as she was pulled back against a hard chest, the person's chin resting on top of her head.

Her breathing hitched and she looked down to see familiar arms wrapped around her.

"Lost?"

She recognized Kyouya's voice and found herself relaxing into his arms.

"Maybe" She replied.

He chuckled, "Just walking around this house clueless for no reason then?"

"I would have found my way back eventually.."

"I thought the twins had said for you and the others to stay outside." She said.

He adjusted his arms and pulled her a bit closer to him, "I came to the conclusion that that rule doesn't apply to me seeing as I should have just as much rights to you as them. Actually, I should have more."

Haruhi let out a short chuckle, " That's an interesting notion."

He pressed his lips against the base of her neck gently, "Besides I-"

"Hikaru, Kaoru? Are you two here?" Called out Tamaki as he stepped around the corner, "I brought Ayu-"

His words died off as he walked around the corner and came face-to-face with Haruhi and Kyouya, still in their previous 'position'.

Haruhi's eyes flickered up in surprise and she drew a short breath in as she saw the person trailing behind Tamaki.

A frown flickered on Ayume's frail features as she stared right back at Haruhi who was still in the arms of the Shadow King.

* * *

**Woo, long chapter today.  
I guess its only fair because of my recent absence.  
I liked this chapter a lot, even though writers block kept appearing.  
I found myself addicted to watching Darker Than Black..  
Ahh, so good! I finished the first season a few hours ago…  
On a completely separate note:**

**Is anyone going to Metrocon this year?**

**I am, and so is one of my friends, we are going for our first year and I'd love to meet any of you if you are going!  
Ouran fans unite!  
Heh, I'm cosplaying as Haruhi..  
And on a more related to the story note:**

**Where would you like Haruhi and Kyouya to go?**

**Yes, another reviewer challenge, right?  
It has to be a fairly public place that isn't too fancy.  
Alright, lets do this people.  
I'll see you all Thursday!**

**~Blue  
**


	21. Chapter 21

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 21: A Matter Of Timing

**Hey!  
Sorry that this is late..  
Yeah, I know I'm a bad person..  
But I couldn't help it, my family was in town and I had to take care of two 1 year olds the entire time.  
And trust me, 1 year olds don't like to sit patiently when I write..  
They scream..  
****And there is the fact that Fanfiction has been down for the past 24 hours, that is really annoying..****  
Anyways, I'll be better because we have 200 REVIEWS!  
HECK YEAH!  
Super special thanks to MexicanHippieChild for being the 200****th**** reviewer!  
They will get an awesome prize!  
And speaking of prizes, I-LOVE-The-Host-Club really needs to turn back on their PMing so that I can contact them about their one-shot…  
Thanks to blazblue-domo for the chapter's idea!  
Anyways, here we go!**

* * *

Haruhi stared blankly at the two figures before her, as some part of her brain registered shock.

She blinked.

Ayume and Tamaki stood almost frozen as well; they were directly in front of her, staring.

Kyouya slipped his hands from her waist and placed them almost lazily around her shoulders, leaning on her in the process.

"Hmm. It's odd that you two are here." Kyouya turned to Tamaki, "I thought you said you were going to give Ayume a tour around town to all your favorite places."

The blonde blinked and then his features morphed into a smile, "That is exactly what we were supposed to be doing. But, somehow we ended up on the subject of you all having lunch here this afternoon and Ayume desperately begged me to take her."

He spun around with over-exaggerated hand motions before looking back at Kyouya, "And you know it would be most ungentlemanly for me to refuse a lady's request."

Ayume took a step forward, a smile on her face as well, "Yes, I am very sorry to intrude. But, I really couldn't help myself. I wanted too meet all of you together quite badly."

Kyouya smiled his typical host smile, "I'm sure t-"

"Haruhi! Haruhi!" The twins came barreling down the corner and ran right into Haruhi, knocking her over.

She clenched her eyes shut, preparing for the jarring feeling of hitting the hard wooden floors when she found herself being lifted back up.

"Hm?" She mumbled to herself as she opened her eyes.

Kyouya pulled Haruhi back up by her arm, which he grabbed as she was falling.

He smirked, "You should be more careful and you should be already used to them running into you, seeing as they do it quite often. Thinking of their antics and Tamaki's combined; it's a wonder that you haven't gained a better sense of balance yet."

Haruhi let out a short sigh and sent a glare towards Hikaru and Kaoru.

They, in return smiled back at her.

The two of them turned towards Ayume and Tamaki with a matching curious look on their faces, "Hmm.. We thought that you couldn't make it."

They raised their eyebrows at Ayume and then turned back towards Tamaki, "Bringing your new friend along to help you enter our house without even asking? How strange…"

Tamaki tried to glare at them but ended up looking like a slightly miffed puppy, "She just wanted to meet all of you, is that such a crime?"

He struck an overly dramatic pose, "I cannot let a proper lady not meet the gentlemanly men of our club! It will do the world good for every woman to get to know us!"

The twins let out a mutual groan.

"You know, Tamaki-sempai, I think that you are a little too friendly sometimes.." Hikaru said with a sigh.

He turned back to Haruhi, "Hey! Where were you? You just ran out on us like that… "

He pouted and Kaoru mirrored him as they said, "All we wanted to do was to have you model just a few outfits!"

They linked their arms around each other and grinned, "And to think that you could actually get away from us is just silly."

Haruhi took a step back warily as the twins reached towards her while saying, "We do need to dress you up just one more time though…"

Just as she was sure she would become a doll once more, Tamaki stepped in front of them.

He had his 'princely air' in full power as he commanded, "Now, you know proper men should never force such petty wishes upon bright young ladies, besides your perverted tendencies are beyond acceptable!"

Tamaki waved his arm around and pointed towards another hallway, "You are banished!"

Kaoru let out a short laugh, "Boss, we know you may have some type of controlling complex, but that doesn't give you the right to 'banish' us from our own home!"

Hikaru bent over laughing, "Ahaha! Banished! Ahhah! That's a good one Tono! Hahah!"

Tamaki pouted and stomped back towards Ayume, "Well, if you won't listen to my brilliance, you might as well just take us to the others."

The twins heads popped up at the same time, "Oh yeah! We totally forgot about Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai!"

They turned around and dashed down another hallway, motioning for them to follow.

Haruhi turned towards Kyouya and raised an eyebrow.

She was met with a small shrug of the shoulders as he walked down the same hallway the twins had gone.

Soon, after many odd twists and turns and one glass bridge they found themselves back in the outdoor patio/garden.

"Tama-chan and Ayu-chan are here!" Honey said with a smile

Haruhi looked at him with a mix of surprise and horror

Sitting around him was what had to be over one-hundred empty plates of cake.

They were piled up in front of him and covered the table entirely.

Honey had a happy and satisfied grin on his face, "What are you all looking at?"

_How can someone eat that much!_

_I-…_

_I don't even know what to say.._

_Where did all of this cake come from?_

She gulped and looked at the twins standing to her right; they seemed to have the same shocked expression as her.

"He ate all of the cake." Mori stated with his low voice.

"He ate all of that?" Ayume asked with her eyes wide.

Honey jumped up from his seat and walked over towards Ayume, "Hi Ayu-chan! I hope you remember me from Kyo-chan's party. I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka, but you can call me Honey, okay? I'm a third year, and this-"

He pointed his small hand back towards Mori, "That's my best friend, Takashi Morinozuka! I guess you could call him Mori, everyone does. He's in the same grade as me!"

"Y-You're eighteen?" Ayume said, her eyes opening wide, "The same age as him?"

"Yup! Aren't I the cutest?" Honey spun around for the added effect and made his way back to his chair.

"Yes, his cute and innocent face attracts many of our customers that enjoy the 'Loli-boy type'." Kyouya stated leaning against the wall with an amused grin on his face.

Hikaru and Kaoru took Honey's place in front of Ayume as they mirrored each other.

"Hello! We haven't been formally introduced yet, have we?" They both extended out their hands to her as they spoke in unison, "We're the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. As for which one is which.. I guess you'll have to figure that one out yourself."

She blinked and shook both of their hands, "Uh, nice to meet you both. I have heard a lot of things about all of you from Tamaki. You all seem to be really great people!"

There was a short moment of silence before a loud buzzing sound filled the air.

Haruhi looked down towards her pocket and then pulled out her phone, it was beeping.

She quickly pressed the button to turn it off and gave a weak smile, "Oh, sorry. That was my alarm; I have to be getting home."

_I guess I should ask Kyouya for a ride home, right?_

But, he turned toward her and said, "I suppose I will give you a ride there."

He glanced at his watch, "It seems that I have business to attend to soon as well, so it works out perfectly."

Honey stood up from his chair and marched over to Mori, "I think we have to go too. Chika has a belt ceremony in an hour and we have to get ready, ne Takashi?"

"Right." Mori said standing up and making his way towards the door.

Kyouya walked that way as well with Haruhi trailing behind him.

"Aww, you guys have to go already?" The twins complained, "Fine.. We'll show you to the door.."

After another, still confusing trek through the twins house Haruhi made it to the front door.

She turned around and waved at them with a smile, "Bye, thank you for having me. I'll see you Monday."

With that she followed Kyouya out the door and into the waiting limousine.

As soon as they had closed the door and began driving Haruhi turned to him, "What is it you have to do today?"

A smirk crossed his face as he leaned back against the seat, "I actually have no real business to attend to that I normally would not due. I simply didn't enjoy the idea of being there with just the twins, Tamaki and Ayume. I believe it would have turned out to be an uncomfortable situation."

Her phone buzzed again, and she pulled it out of her pocket looking at the message on its screen.

"What is it that you have to do?" He asked, looking towards her phone.

"Well, Mei was coming with me to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Matsuyama-city, but she just texted me and told me she couldn't make it." Haruhi slipped her phone back inside her pocket.

Kyouya leaned on his hand and glanced out the window, "I suppose I could accompany you if you would like. I do not think I have ever been to a cherry blossom festival. It might be interesting."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "You would actually want to come?"

"What? Finding it odd that a 'damn rich person' like me would want to come to a festival? That's a little harsh Haruhi. I would hope you held me in a higher standard than that." He smirked.

She sighed, "Well, Mei and I were planning on going at six thirty and it's.. What time is it now?"

Haruhi was in the process of pulling out her phone to check when Kyouya said, "It is five fifty-six."

"Oh, well I just need to stop by my house and tell my father I'm leaving, if you do really want to go."

"Hm, as I said before I would like to go. It would be.. A learning experience as Tamaki would call it." Kyouya smirked and watched as she let out a sigh.

The car pulled to a stop as he said, "I believe we are at your house. Hurry please; it might take a while to get to Matsuyama-city from here."

She jumped out of the car and raced up the steps to her house taking them two at a time.

* * *

Kyouya stretched his arms and leaned back against the seat of the limousine as he watched Haruhi disappear into her apartment.

_Well, this day has made an unexpected turn for what might be the better._

Truly, he had had nothing of importance planned for today.

He had woken up this afternoon around one-thirty and had simply planned on staying at his home, checking the Host Club's finances and some of his personal companies rise in stock.

Kyouya was in the process of checking his email when he had received a message from Ranka.

He still kept Haruhi's father informed of her happenings in the Host Club through email a few times a week and Ranka always seemed to put in meaningless details of what Haruhi was doing at the moment into his messages to him.

Clicking on the message Kyouya had found that Haruhi was on her way to the Riogashi Boardwalk to pick up clothes.

Kyouya thought nothing of this fact and skimmed over the email before deleting it.

It was only five minutes later that his phone rang, spewing out the annoying notes that signaled Tamaki Suoh was calling.

He picked up the phone and listened as his friend invited him to the Riogashi Boardwalk and a few other places with a certain Ayume Karenazawa.

He refused Tamaki's offer.

He also quickly made the connection and an odd feeling seemed to rise over him.

Kyouya didn't want Haruhi to see them.

He didn't want Tamaki to see her.

He knew the minute his friend laid eyes on Haruhi she would end up being dragged with him on whatever meaningless trek throughout town he was planning whether she wanted to or not.

For some reason that thought made him irritated.

Very irritated.

Enough so that he changed into proper clothes and readied his driver.

He picked up his phone again and called Haruhi on her cell phone.

She answered and said that she was, in fact, at the Riogashi Boardwalk and that Ayume had seen her, but not Tamaki.

For some reason that relieved him and he quickly made his way over to her.

On his way there though, he had received another call from Kaoru Hitachiin, asking if he would like to join the rest of the club for lunch soon.

He said yes and told Kaoru that he would ask Haruhi as well.

As Kyouya picked up Haruhi from _Niamari's Dry Cleaning _he asked her about the lunch and was slightly surprised she said yes.

Eventually they had made their way to the Hitachiin's house and after a nice lunch and little trouble from Ayume and Tamaki found themselves leaving.

And now, he was experiencing another, unplanned event in his day.

_A cherry blossom festival_

_I truly don't think I have ever been to one._

_It is odd that Haruhi would be going to this._

_For some reason I wouldn't picture her there._

Then the door opened to the limousine and Haruhi stepped in snapping Kyouya out of his own thoughts.

* * *

After a thirty minute drive, Haruhi pulled the limousine door open and stepped out breathing in the clean, fresh air that could only belong to Matsuyama-city.

It was around six-thirty and the sun had just began to set, making its way lower and lower in the horizon till it was hidden.

It cast an unearthly glow upon the cherry blossom trees that stood high into the air slowly waving with the breeze.

Two large trees bordered the entrance to the _Matsuyama Cherry Blossom Festival._

Those words were delicately inked on a large sign spread out between the trees and hundreds of people mulled around in the large space before her.

Rows and rows of stands selling everything from pottery to pocky were lined up before them in an almost maze-like pattern.

The constant buzz of people talking and sometimes screaming filled the background.

Haruhi turned around to see Kyouya's curious face at the scene in front of them as he stepped out of the car.

"Hm, so this is a festival. Interesting.. And what separates this from any other festival during the year other than the blooming of cherry blossoms?"

He took a few steps forward, walking into the crowd of people and peering around.

She walked up next to him and gestured towards their right, "Well, it is basically like all of the other festivals. But, over there they have special events like parades or games. I think they already had the parade earlier today, but they still might have some other activities going on."

She bit her lip in thought, trying to remember all of the events Mei had told her about.

"I think tha-"

She stopped herself, Kyouya had been right next to her a few seconds ago but was now gone.

She spun around, hoping he hadn't silently disappeared again.

_Oh, there!_

She walked over to a booth to her left where Kyouya stood holding one of the many elegantly painted masks that were on display.

He turned around, "Haruhi, did you know that these masks are of the same quality of the ones that the Host Club used for the masquerade but they are at least seventy percent cheaper?"

He turned the mask around in his hands again, it was an intricately painted wolf mask carved out of a rich brown wood.

"Yeah. I always wondered why you all spent so much money on such simple things.. I mean, just because it costs two-hundred dollars more doesn't mean that it is any better, does it?"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow and looked at her, "I suppose that could be true in some cases. You would just have to get that message through our King's head before it would do any good. He always insists on everything being authentic. It causes quite a strain on the budget as well as me, seeing as I have to find whatever he needs and make sure it is available at his whim."

Haruhi picked up another mask, this one was white with four swirls of color decorating the face.

She looked back up at him, "It seems like you are irritated by what you have to do for Tamaki-sempai. Why don't you tell him that he should cut his spending or just order the less expensive things that are not from some far-away place?"

"It is not as easy as that, sadly. He fights with the argument that everything must be the highest quality for our guests or else we are behaving rudely. He thinks that we can somehow afford his needs by simply selling more products."

The beginnings of a grin tugged at his features, "And even if I try to reason with him he throws a fit."

Haruhi let out a short laugh, "Well, that is true."

She found herself wandering to the next stand with Kyouya not far behind.

This was a food stand and they had a large assortment of strange items behind the counter.

She peered into the container, "Fried starfish legs? That sounds disgusting.."

"Indeed it does, but I think frozen spider abdomens sound even worse. How does this make enough income to keep afloat?" Kyouya said, tapping the glass front of the stand.

Haruhi looked at the small plate of samples that sat next to her, the label read _Bee Larvae_.

A small smile flickered across her face as a plan came to mind.

She took one of the small plastic forks from the side of the plate and picked one of the bee larvae up.

She could practically hear Kyouya's horror, "You are actually going to eat that?"

Haruhi picked up the fork and waved it around near his face, making him take another step back.

"Why don't you try some?" She took a step towards him.

"And why on Earth would I eat a disgusting food like that?"

She grinned a grin that wasn't unlike the Shadow King's, "Because I dare you to."

"You dare me.. And that is supposed to convince me to eat that disgusting food?" He had an almost amused expression on his face.

"Yes. I will also eat it too if that helps."

"It doesn't. I refuse."

Haruhi looked up at him, "And why is that?"

"Because I will most certainly contract some type of food-related disease from eating it and that does not appeal to me." He looked down at her with a superior smirk on his face.

She took the fork with the bee larvae on it and stuck it in her mouth eating it and swallowed.

"See, that wasn't bad. I'm not dying am I? No food related illnesses." She picked up another fork and speared some more of the bee larvae and held it up towards him. "Now it is your turn. Eat it. Unless you are afraid?"

"Normally I would not take the bait of such a weak taunt but since you would probably keep this up all night I will give in this once."

He took the fork from her hand and put it in his mouth.

After he swallowed, Haruhi looked up at him with a satisfied expression, "So?"

"Hm. I suppose it wasn't bad. It was actually slightly crunchy and sweet. Although, it doesn't fall under the 'good' category."

A loud voice boomed over the festival from the speakers, "Hello ladies and gentleman! The Shikagazi Dancers will be performing in ten minutes at the main stage! So get over there and watch the great performance!"

"Would you like to head over there?" Kyouya asked, throwing the fork away.

"Uh, sure." She said, walking with the flood of people to what she presumed was the stage.

"HARUHI!" An overly excited voice called out as she was attacked with a large swinging hug.

"Hey! HEY! Put me down!" She yelled.

When she was put down, she sighed looking up at the figure before her.

"What are you doing here Tamaki-sempai?" Haruhi asked.

"I was showing Ayume the wonders of the common man's Cherry Blossom festival!" He twirled around and then pointed towards a space next to him.

Tamaki spun around in circles before asking, "Did you guys see her? She just disappeared? Where did she go? Help me look!"

He sped off into the crowd calling to them to help him look for her.

Haruhi looked towards Kyouya who said, "I suppose we should help."

With that they split apart and began searching.

* * *

Kyouya walked down a line of booths, scanning the people around him.

_How did this turn out this way?_

_Can't Tamaki even keep track of one woman?_

He sighed.

He peered into a large tent that was supposed to house some 'oddities', still no sign of her.

Kyouya took a turn to the right and walked down another, almost identical row of stands.

Then, he saw a flash of long brown hair dart into a patch of cherry blossoms.

_Was that her?_

He quickly made his way towards the trees and walked into them.

The air was cold and almost damp underneath the cover of the trees, the darkness made it hard for him to follow the quickly moving form in front of him.

"Ayume, is that you? Please wait." He called out.

The person stopped and looked back at him, it was obviously Ayume.

"Kyouya?" She said, looking at him.

She jogged back over to him darting through trees.

"Thank God! I was lo-" He words were cut off as she tripped and fell directly on top of him.

* * *

Haruhi had split up from the others and was scanning down various streets of vendors, hoping to find Ayume.

_Where could she be?_

_How did Tamaki-sempai loose her in the first place?_

_If he was the one who lost her, we shouldn't be the ones looking, right?_

She saw a flash of dark blue eyes followed by long dark hair dash around a corner far away from her.

"Wait! Ayume-san!" She called out.

_Crap!_

_I lost her!_

_There is no way I can catch up!_

She zeroed in on a large area filled with cherry blossom trees that covered the other side of the corner.

_Maybe if I cut through there…_

Haruhi ran into the trees, darting around the trunks of them as she tried to get to the other side.

She could hear two different footsteps coming her way and then someone called out, "Ayume, is that you? Please wait."

_Is that Kyouya?_

A different voice called out, "Kyouya?"

_And that's Ayume-san, so he found her too?_

Haruhi heard the sound of Ayume running and saying, "Thank God! I was lo-"

And then her words were cut out with a loud "Ooof!" sound.

She ran towards the noise, hoping no one was hurt.

"Hey, Kyou-"

She stopped herself mid-sentence, staring at the scene before her with a wide mix of emotions.

What she had found seemed to be much worse.

Because, there in the middle of the clearing was Ayume and Kyouya, tangled up in each others arms, their lips pressed together.

* * *

**Ah…  
What will happen?  
Do you know?  
Of course you don't!  
Gotta love those cliche's..  
Heh..  
You gotta wait till Thurday or maybe Friday if I end up with work to do..  
But, more likely Friday..**

**Ah, review people!**  
**I am still in shock that I have 200 reviews on this tiny little fanfiction!**  
**It's like a dream come true!**  
**Ah, I love you all for being so awesome!**  
**See you soon,**

**~Blue**


	22. Chapter 22

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 22: Perhaps for the Better?

**Hello!  
Glad to see you all.  
Sorry I didn't update midweekly again..  
I know, throw all of the rocks at me that you want..  
I feel like a horrible person.  
But, I have created a new system for myself that will force me to write enough so that I can update on Thursday/Friday.  
So don't worry!  
Although, this chapter is a little short because of supreme writers block.  
I literally have been sitting at my computer for SEVEN HOURS trying to write this.  
I think the world is punishing me for being lazy.  
Ah well, read and enjoy!  
And review, reviews are nice!**

* * *

"Kyouya?" Ayume called out turning back towards him.

He watched as she quickly weaved her way back through the cherry blossoms.

A small smirk crossed his features, this had been much easier than he had predicted.

_Now I just have to return her back to Tamaki and I can carry along with my night._

She worked herself into a jog as she neared him, "Oh thank God! I was lo-"

Her words were cut off as her foot snagged in a tree root and she started to fall to the ground.

He took a few steps towards her, planning on catching her, but, his feet were also placed on the not even remotely flat, tree root covered ground.

So as she dropped into his arms he slipped backwards as well.

Kyouya sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes as they hit the ground with her body pressing on to his.

He winced at the pain in his back and opened his eyes slowly.

He found himself staring directly into Ayume's almost unnaturally bright blue eyes.

A faint smile crossed her face and her features seemed to glow.

Kyouya swallowed, feeling uncomfortable at their closeness and began to sit up.

Ayume seemed to take his gesture in the opposite way and took the opportunity to lean closer to him and press her lips lightly against his.

He froze, taken completely off guard.

_What the he-_

He heard the soft crunch of twigs and leaves and then an all too familiar voice that said, "Hey, Kyou-"

And then nothing.

That snapped him out of whatever semi-trance he happened to be in.

Kyouya sat up quickly, removing his lips from Ayume's.

He pushed the girl off of him almost too roughly and stood up, his eyes locking on to the running form that seemed to be fading even farther into the distance with every second.

"Damn it.." He muttered under his breath as he adjusted his askew glasses.

A gasp came from behind him and he turned around to see Ayume sitting in exactly the same spot her eyes glued to the ground.

"I apologize." He said quickly, before turning around and running in the direction he last saw Haruhi.

_An idiot! I am such an idiot._

_How could I ever let such a situation happen?_

_Damn it!_

Kyouya let his feet carry him as fast as possible while weaving his way through the many trees.

_She couldn't have gotten far, could she?_

_It's not as if she is even that good of a runner.._

_Though she is much smaller than me so-_

He winced as a tree branch hit him in the face as he tried to duck.

_-she doesn't have to duck and weave under every tree._

He looked around, scanning the area for Haruhi's movement, but, there was nothing, not even the crackle of twigs underfoot that gave away any indication of her being anywhere around.

* * *

Haruhi ran.

Her eyes seemed to have captured the scene that was in front of her with perfect clarity and it had plastered itself onto the back of her eyelids and wouldn't leave.

She moved her legs faster and faster, trying to get as far away from the two people behind her as possible.

She dodged the trees around her with a very abnormal grace and was desperately trying to put all of her thoughts into running.

Her insides seemed to be frozen, it was as if her body was just moving on its own and had put its mind on autopilot.

A strange feeling had weaved its way into the bottom of her stomach and was growing bigger with every step.

She didn't think she had ever experienced it before.

It seemed to take hold of her every movement and stop her rational thinking.

All she could see was that single image plastered on the inside of her eyelids.

Haruhi burst out of the field of cherry blossom trees and found herself back in the rows and rows of booths.

She still didn't stop running.

She angled herself through the people, who let her pass easily.

Soon, she found herself in a semi-secluded alleyway that connected two of the large streets of booths.

She came to a stop and leaned back against the wall, sinking to the ground.

She gasped for air, taking huge breaths as she felt her muscles sigh in relief.

Haruhi brought her knees up to her chest and took another deep breath.

She let her head fall on her legs with a deep sigh as she squeezed her eyes shut.

_What am I going to do?_

_Is there actually anything I can do?_

_I.._

_I don't even know.._

She wrapped her arms around her knees and let out another shaky sigh.

_I-_

_I just don't understand…_

_He was-_

She swallowed.

_-kissing her.._

_And she was kissing him.._

_Wasn't Ayume-san with Tamaki-sempai?_

_Wasn't she?_

_A-And wasn't Kyouya.._

_With me?_

She bit down on her lip and swallowed again.

_But they.._

_They.._

Another unsteady sigh left her mouth as she picked her head up and leaned back against the wall.

She could feel her breath hitch and her eyes begin to water.

Haruhi took a deep breath and wiped her eyes trying to calm herself.

_Why am I about to cry?_

She sniffed and squished her eyes together.

_It's not like I own him.._

_I.._

_I guess he has the right to do what he wants, right…?_

_I.. I guess I shouldn't interfere if that is what he wants to do.._

_I mean.. Him being with Ayume-san is probably better._

_She is rich and she is beautiful._

_And she actually looks like a girl and not a stupid tanuki. _(Racoon Doll)

_I think that it would be better for their families too.._

_Since they are merging together._

_Maybe…_

_Maybe it's for the better.._

She felt one small tear roll down her face and she wiped it off with the back of her hand.

_Yes.._

_This is for the better.._

_I hope._

Haruhi lifted herself off of the ground and gave her head a quick shake, trying to clear her mind.

She forced a smile to her lips.

_I am making the right decision…_

_Right?_

_No, no second guessing._

_This is the right decision._

_It is better._

She walked out of the alley and back into the pedestrian filled street.

She was immediately jumped on by a familiar blonde face.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki cried out with a smile, "Where were you? I was looking for Ayume and I couldn't find her and then I couldn't find you or Kyouya and I was beyond worried! I thought you had been kidnapped!"

She pushed him off of her, "Trust me I wasn't."

"So, where is Kyouya? Did you two ever find Ayume?"

Haruhi blinked, unsure of how to answer the question.

But, suddenly a very easy possibility came to her head.

She should lie.

"Kyouya called me a little bit ago, he said he found Ayume and she was feeling ill so he was going to take her home." She tried to keep her face as normal as possible and not talk like a robot.

Somehow, Tamaki believed her.

"Ohh!" He said, snapping his fingers, "That makes sense!"

His eyes widened, "Uh, does that mean you need a ride home from me?"

She looked back up at him, "Yes."

"Oh, okay." He turned to their right and pointed gallantly, "To the car then!"

"Yeah.." She said, pulling her lips into a smile again.

He grabbed her arm with a large swinging motion and pulled her off towards the car.

She looked around nervously as they walked, expecting Kyouya to appear at any moment.

Luckily he didn't, the two of them walked to the exit of the festival uninterrupted.

The shiny black limo was already waiting for them.

Tamaki looked up to the night sky above them and pointed, "Beautiful isn't it?"

She looked up, the sky was dark and the stars glowed brightly in the night.

There were hundreds up there, much more than she normally saw in the city.

"Yeah, It is."

Haruhi could still hear the buzz of the crowd behind her and had the sudden urge to look back.

_He won't be there idiot.._

_He is probably off somewhere else._

_This is for the better._

She repeated that sentence in her head and dug what little finger nails she had into the palm of her hand.

"Yup." Tamaki said with a short chuckle as he moved his hand back through his hair.

He jumped forward and opened the door of the limousine, gesturing for her to enter.

Haruhi clenched and unclenched her hands before shuffling herself in the car with a half smile.

"Thank you." She said as he slid into the seat next to her.

"Oh, you're welcome!"

There was silence.

She twisted her fingers together as they both sat there, trying to think of something to say.

* * *

Kyouya had been looking around the festival for what seemed like an hour but could have only been about ten minutes.

He had walked up and down all of the streets the festival was in control of and he still hadn't seen one sign of Haruhi.

He let out a long sign and pushed his glasses upward as he scanned the crowds.

Still nothing.

He had a very unfamiliar, almost panicked feeling running through him right now.

He needed to find Haruhi.

He absolutely needed to find Haruhi.

_I can only imagine what she might have thought.._

_I doubt I would have even been confident in myself if I didn't know what had truly transpired._

_Damn it!_

_This could ruin everything!_

He clenched his hands and then unclenched them, shaking his head to clear it.

_I need to think.._

_Think…_

_Where would I go if I was Haruhi?_

_Where would she run away to if she was upset?_

_Hmm.._

He stopped walking and crossed his arms, putting a hand to his face.

_Somewhere…_

_Think!_

_Okay, so when she is afraid of thunder she hides somewhere enclosed and tight._

_That might be a start for now._

_Somewhere enclosed.._

_Where would that even be here?_

_Other than the cherry trees, which I highly doubt she would go back to.._

_This is a pretty wide open space._

_I suppose.._

He saw a flash of brown hair in his peripheral vision and froze.

He found himself automatically taking a few steps back and blending into the crowd as Haruhi walked right by him and was promptly bombarded by Tamaki.

They talked; he thought he could hear his name being mentioned.

Then, Tamaki smiled and pointed towards the exit of the festival with a flourish and Haruhi smiled back.

For some reason, this created an aching pain in Kyouya's chest.

_Heart burn?_

_Stupid bee larvae, I knew I shouldn't have eaten it._

_..._

_I.. I should talk to Haruhi.._

He tried to shake the feeling away from him as he watched Tamaki grab her by the arm and happily pull her away.

But, it only grew stronger.

He followed behind the two of them slowly, for some reason he didn't think he should be seen.

Haruhi kept looking around with an almost nervous expression on her face and he conveniently melted into the crowd every time she turned in his direction.

Soon they had reached the gate and he could see Tamaki's limousine already waiting.

_So she is getting a ride home with him.._

He pushed his glasses up as they began to talk again.

_I suppose I shouldn't interfere, if she wanted to talk to me she would have waited, correct?_

_I.._

_Although I do wish to speak to her.._

_I need to clear this up._

He pushed his glasses up again.

_How about a game of luck then..?_

_If she looks back I will explain it to her now, whether Tamaki is there or not._

_If she doesn't I will tell her the next time I see her privately._

He watched, feeling anxious as she stood, he saw her hands slowly close and unclose.

Tamaki opened the door for her and she stood in front of it before quickly shuffling inside.

His blonde haired friend jumped in after her and shut the door as they drove away.

He felt an abnormal feeling dig its way into his gut as he turned away from the car and walked towards his own.

* * *

Haruhi walked into her home with relief.

She and Tamaki had spent most of the car ride in silence.

_Normally I never mind silent car rides._

_But, this one was beyond awkward._

_I didn't even think Tamaki could be awkward.._

_I occasionally ride with Kyouya in si-…._

She shook her head as she took off her shoes.

_Never mind.._

She looked up at the clock.

_9:01.. _

_And Dad is already asleep?_

_I swear he is the most lazy person I know.._

_At least he isn't demonic in the mornings like Ky-_

_I mean Honey-sempai._

Haruhi sighed and sat down on her bed.

_I need some sleep._

_Yes, that is the problem._

She stood up again and stripped off her clothes before slipping on a pair of pajama shorts and an old shirt.

Quickly, she popped out her contacts and brushed her teeth.

Her hand flipped off the light switch as she jumped in her bed.

She laid there with her eyes closed for ten, then twenty minutes.

Haruhi groaned and then turned on her bedside lamp and grabbed a book.

She flipped to where her bookmark was and began to read.

"_**I love you Kozumi and I always will! I am so sorry for what I have done, please forgive me or I am afraid I might die!" He said, kneeling down in front of the frail girl.**_

_**She blushed and smiled sweetly, "Oh Kotoro I forgive you!"**_

_**Kozumi jumped into his arms as she k-**_

She slammed the book close with a loud groan and threw it to the floor.

"Aargh! Why did Mei give me such an idiotic romance novel!" She laid back in her bed with a sigh.

She pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes.

Still no sleep came.

She twisted herself up in her covers and cleared her mind focusing on only the black back of her own eyelids.

Then, after what seemed like it could have been many hours she drifted off into sleep.

* * *

**I am sorry that this chapter is short..  
I know I am a bad person..  
I am just beyond the point of busy right now and am trying to find a way to fit writing into my schedule.  
And there is the fact that this chapter gave me multiple cases of writer's block.  
It was just strange.  
But, I have worked out a system now.  
I got a planner and I now have a time to write every week.  
I know that the next chapter will be on Friday, I have work on Thursday afternoon.  
And I will always update on Sunday's unless I say otherwise in the chapter before.  
So, I'll try and be a better author, okay?  
This time I really will see you all Friday or any of the you can virtually or physically smack me.**

**~Blue**


	23. Chapter 23

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 23: Dreams of Life Awake

**Yes, yes..  
I can feel the virtual kicking..  
It is painful and necessary because I have found that I am a horrible procrastinator with no time management skills.  
Yeah, it sucks.  
I apologize ten times over but think of it this way.  
When the next chapter is posted I will be free of all other work or extra activities and I will update like I normally do.  
But…  
Well the rest of that is in the bottom authors note, so read that.  
Tell me if you see any mistakes because part of this chapter was written during a sugar coma.  
Oh, and Happy Easter! **

* * *

Haruhi's breathing began to slow as she lay in her bed.

Slowly her thoughts became less frantic and she curled up in her covers and her clenched hands seemed to relax.

Before she knew it she had fallen asleep and she began to dream.

Haruhi was standing in a large field that's green grass seemed to glow, beautiful flowers surrounded it, flowers she never had seen before with vibrant petals and sharp, tangy scents that wafted up towards her.

Tall trees stood in perfect rows as they reached up hundreds of feet above her, disappearing up into the sky.

Her feet began to move towards the middle of the field and a smile began to grow on her face.

She found herself turning to her left and she looked up to see a very familiar face.

Kyouya looked down at her as they both walked towards the middle of the clearing and a faint smile crossed his lips.

He looked up toward the sky and Haruhi's gaze followed.

Up above her was an ethereal scene.

Half of the sky was arranged into a sunset, with stunning purples and pinks overlapping each other in a perfect mixture of color while the other half was dotted with bright stars that stuck out like pin points in the dark blue sky.

She felt herself draw in a slow breath as she gazed up at the scene above her.

Kyouya's hand lightly grabbed hold of her own as a light breeze blew over the field and brought with it a soft strawberry scent.

But then with an almost unnoticeable blink the entire scene changed.

One by one the stars dropped out of the sky, each taking a small bit of light with them as they left.

Soon the sky had grown completely black and it seemed to close in on Haruhi.

Then a long bolt of lightning streaked its way across the sky with a loud crack and she jumped backwards, with her heart pounding.

Her breath grew ragged with fear and she turned back to her left, trying to grab onto Kyouya.

But, he was gone.

She fell through the place that he was supposed to be and hit the eerily green glowing grass with a thud that was almost completely unheard through the loud rumble of thunder that followed.

As her hands hit the ground the once vibrant green grass began to wilt, turning an ugly brown color and spreading throughout the field.

Haruhi took in large breaths of air, trying to focus on her hands instead of the din of the thunder and lightning around her.

She spotted a small movement out of the corner of her eye and found herself looked up towards it.

Just above her head one large autumn leaf fell down, spinning around delicately as it made its way to the ground, almost as if it was ignoring the whipping wind around it.

It fell directly in front of her and as it touched the now dead grass the ground rippled like water, leaving Haruhi clinging to herself.

_Wha-?_

She reached out towards the leaf trying to pick it up.

But, a large bolt of lightning jumped out of the sky with a sharp crack and her hand jerked down on the leaf crushing it.

The ground rippled wildly now and she wrapped her arms around her own stomach desperately trying to cling to something solid.

She sucked in a quick breath just before she fell through the ground as if it were water.

Haruhi was instantly pulled underneath the large waves of what used to be land.

Quickly she found herself sinking farther and farther underneath the water.

Her lungs screamed for air and her eyelids began to flutter shut as she was dragged further down into the murky depths.

She reached an arm upward in a feeble attempt at swimming.

But she felt a hand grab her own and yank her upward and out of the water.

She took in a deep breath as she sat on land and looked up to where her arm was still held by her rescuer.

The sun had risen up high into the sky and cast a dark shadow over the man in front of her so that she couldn't see a single detail of him or his face.

Haruhi blinked and was about to speak when she realized that the man had disappeared from sight.

Looking around she realized she was in the middle of a flat expanse of desert that seemed to stretch out for miles.

She turned back towards the water she had just came from and was utterly confused to see nothing but desert in front of her.

The dry, sandy air swirled up around her and made her let out a long string of coughs.

Peering into the distance her eyes found a small figure that was far away from her walking in the opposite direction.

She stood up and began to run towards the figure, her feet scrabbling for traction on the dusty desert floor.

"Hey! Hold on!" She called out, waving an arm back and forth as she sprinted.

Then, as if an invisible switch was thrown she stopped moving and her vision sharpened on the person until she could see their back in perfect detail.

It was a tall, slim woman who wore a long silky white dress that billowed around her in the light wind, and her long brown hair cascaded down her back and swished back and forth as she walked further and further away from Haruhi.

"I-" She began.

But, before she could even finish the next word her sight returned to normal and the woman seemed to be nothing more than a white blotch on the hazy horizon.

Suddenly a loud rumbling noise rang out in the desert and the ground began to shake.

She fell to the ground as another violent quake moved the ground underneath her feet.

Then, she blinked slowly and Haruhi opened her eyes.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling.

_It was only a dream.._

She was covered in a layer of sweat and she unconsciously shivered.

_I have never remembered a dream so vividly.._

Her covers were tangled into a small ball at the end of her bed.

She spread her arms and legs out flat on the bed with a sigh as she tried to cool herself down.

Haruhi's eyes flickered over towards her clock.

_5:37… Great._

_Ugh, why I am up so early.._

_I don't have to really be up until 6:30 or so._

She closed her eyes and plopped her head down onto the pillow, urging sleep to come again.

But, she had no such luck.

The very faint flicker of sunlight coming from her window seemed to be screaming at her to get up and she reluctantly complied, pulling herself up into a sitting position with a low grumble.

As the blood rushed to her head she blinked, rubbing the back of her arm against her forehead and was mildly surprised to find it covered in a thin layer of cold sweat.

_I guess that's what happens when you have creepy nightmares._

Haruhi shook her head back and forth quickly, trying to shake off the sinking feeling that had stayed with her ever since she woke up from her dream.

Goosebumps rose up on her arms and she rubbed her hands against them absentmindedly as she stood up.

_Might as well get ready now._

_I'll just go to school a bit early and study for my finals._

With a plan now in mind she walked purposefully towards the bathroom and quickly stripped off her clothes before stepping in to the shower.

She let out a sigh of relief as the cold water fell down on her and she closed her eyes for a moment.

_Mmm, sometimes I just wish I could stay here all day._

_Although, that wouldn't be very practical._

She squeezed a bottle of shampoo into her hands and rubbed it quickly into her hair.

She moved back under the spray of water and turned around to turn up the heat of it.

_I wonder what is going to happen today at the Host Club._

_Not that I can ever predict what any of them might do._

_But.._

A small, hopeful sigh escaped her lips.

_What am I expecting to happen, have him come up to me with a long winded apology?_

_I doubt he even saw me in the first place._

_He most likely has figured out what happened by now, it would be pretty obvious._

_But.. I assume he is pleased with his decision and I have no right to take it away from him._

_If he is happy with her then there is nothing to do._

A small voice inside of her called out:

_But what about your feelings?_

_What about your happiness? Do you not have a right to that as well?_

_I.._

Haruhi squirted some conditioner into her palms and worked it through her hair before scrubbing at her skin with a soap bar.

She was desperately trying to avoid her own thoughts, something that she knew was impossible.

_I can still continue on being happy without Kyouya._

_I am not that obsessively attached to him that I couldn't go on, it's not like I am one of those sappy heroines from romance novels._

She rolled her eyes and dashed back under the shower of water.

_Although it may not be to that extreme, you cannot say that you are happier without him, can you?_

…

Her eyes flickered to the ground and she bit her bottom lip in thought.

_I guess I cannot._

_But that still doesn't stop the fact that he was with Ayume-san._

Haruhi turned off the shower and grabbed a towel.

She walked over to her closet and pulled out the Ouran Uniform and absentmindedly put it on.

_Why does this layer of mopyness keep falling over me?_

She bit her lip again.

_It's._

_Not._

_A._

_Big._

_Deal._

An exasperated sigh left her mouth as rubbed at her temples.

_It shouldn't be a big deal, right?_

_There is nothing that bad about it._

_I should be calm._

_Just calm._

After quickly running a comb through her hair, brushing her teeth and popping in her contacts she tiptoed out into the hallway, conscious that her father was still snoring away in his room.

Haruhi glanced at the clock.

_6:07.. At least that isn't too early._

_I doubt Dad will even be up for another two hours._

She opened the cabinet and grabbed a bagel and popped it in the toaster.

Then, she moved across the kitchen, back to the refrigerator, and pulled out a bento box.

She gave a sharp, unconscious nod as she checked for leftovers for her father to have for breakfast and found a box of take-out still in the fridge.

After putting the bento in her school bag she grabbed her bagel out of the toaster and quickly ate it as she grabbed a paper and pen to write:

**Hey Dad, **

**I left for school early today because I had to study.  
There are some leftovers in the fridge for your breakfast  
just warm them up in the microwave for a little bit and they  
will be ready to eat. **

**See you after school, **

**Haruhi**

A light smile flashed on her face as she placed the note on the table where her father would easily find it.

_He is completely helpless by himself sometimes.._

With that she grabbed her bag and walked out the door.

The warm summer air hit her like a brick and her eyes immediately went to the street outside her home where a black limo was _not _present.

A multitude of emotions ranging from relief to disappointment rang throughout her.

_It is not like I would even expect him to be up by now._

_And even if he did plan on picking me up today he wouldn't know that I was getting up early today._

"It's.. all for the better.." She mumbled under her breath.

She forced the corners of her lips up into a smile and trudged down the stairs and into the warm morning air.

* * *

Kyouya Ootori let out a long sigh as he stared up at his ceiling.

For the past three hours had tried to busy himself with work and it was not long until he had completed things two weeks ahead of schedule.

His god-awful mind would not settle down for a second and he had found himself pacing around his bedroom.

Eventually he'd resorted to settling Host Club finances and had rearranged their entire business approach in a way that would give them a 5% profit increase per customer.

Now, it was 4:55 AM and he had forced himself into bed to try and get at least a morsel of sleep.

But still, he was laying here, awake.

_This has been quite a night._

_Usually sleep comes easily to me, quite odd that I am so awake._

He was spread out on top of his covers and closed his eyes in relief as a wave of cool air brushed over his legs.

_I wonder what Haruhi is doing at the moment._

_Hopefully sleeping, perhaps she has better luck than I do._

_I truly hope I can talk to her before class today._

_It has been eating away at me all night, the idea that she might believe I prefer Ayume over her._

_I am quite.._

_I suppose you could call it anxious._

_Not a very common feeling for me._

_I wonder if she realized she is the only one who can elicit such reactions from me._

_It is an odd feeling._

_At the moment it is compelling me to drive to her home and wait for her outside to leave so that I may talk to her._

_But, luckily the rational side of me is working enough that I realize this is very stalker-like and probably creepy._

A grin pulled at his lips.

_Though the look on her face would be priceless._

_It would be very... cute._

He ran his finger up the bridge of his nose to where his glasses would be.

Kyouya's eyes were drawn back up to the ceiling.

_It is true that the feelings she brings out in me probably have never been seen by anyone other than her._

_I suppose if I had to describe it attraction would be…_

_It is slightly like a tidal wave in the way it starts out of what was once completely normal water but then grows to an almost unstoppable and large force._

_It is so overwhelming and new that I can't begin to truly describe it._

_I doubt I would have ever understood it before I had experienced such a feeling._

_Hah, actually before all of this happened I had no idea it truly existed._

_I thought of romance and attraction merely as tools for business or other manipulative tools._

_I can clearly remember the skeptic ideas floating in my mind as I watched my sister spin around and speak of the wonders of love that she had found in her marriage._

He glanced back at his bedside clock and read:

_5:37_

_Great…_

_At least that spout of thoughts took some time up._

_Ugh, I suppose I might as well get ready for class and head on in to the Host Club early._

_At least that would be better than having to sit here for another hour while trying in vain to fall asleep._

With a small shrug of his shoulders he stood up and lifted his arms over his head, hearing the small popping sound that came from his back.

Kyouya walked into his closet and pulled out one of his many Ouran Uniforms and put it on quickly.

He lightly cracked his knuckles before grabbing his glasses at his bedside table, and his laptop in its case before lazily strolling out of his bedroom door.

He silently walked down a large staircase that led to the kitchen and sat down at a long, elegant table where his breakfast was already set out.

Picking up the chopsticks he quickly picked up various pieces of fish and put them into his mouth.

After a few minutes he pushed his chair back and walked towards the door glancing out the window to make sure his ride was here.

It was.

He opened the door and stepped out into the warm morning air with a raise of his eyes.

_It is actually growing hot out of here._

_Finally._

The door of his limousine opened for him as he entered, his school bag was sitting on the far right seat and he put his laptop case next to it.

As the car started to move Kyouya pushed his glasses up and found himself running a hand through his hair.

"Please make a quick detour to the Fujioka Residence."

The words left his mouth before he even thought about it.

_Ah well, what harm can it do?_

He gazed out of the window, his eyes looking at every passerby with an absentminded curiosity.

Soon enough the surrounding grew familiar and he looked up to see Haruhi's apartment building in front of him.

The car pulled to a silent stop in front of the building and Kyouya felt himself itching to open the door and walk up the stairs.

He looked down at the watch on his wrist.

_6:14.._

_I assume she is just waking up now._

_No way she would be about to leave._

_The average time she usually leaves at is 7:02 only a little less than an hour ahead._

_Well, she will eventually be at club, won't she?_

_Obviously._

_That was a rhetorical question.._

Kyouya leaned back against the cool leather seats and let a small sigh slip from his lips.

"To Ouran Academy now." He commanded.

The car rolled forward taking the all too familiar route to the school.

He idly adjusted his tie and pushed up his glasses again.

His hands went up to his neck and undid a tiny clasp.

He stared at the small gold chain in his hand.

Truthfully, he had no idea why he wore it so often.

It wasn't ever noticed, nor was it symbolic in anyway.

Yet somehow he felt comforted by its presence.

The small cool touch was usually forgotten and he hadn't taken it off in what seemed like months.

He rolled the small metal links around in the palm of his hand and breathed a heavy sigh.

_This whole business is truly getting troublesome.._

_But isn't that what makes it all the more enjoyable?_

A smirk crossed his face.

_Yes, I suppose it is._

* * *

**I think I really like writing the dream sequence for Haruhi.  
Heh, It was interesting.  
Don't worry the next chapter will most likely be rather long and full of interesting scenes and perhaps some fl-  
Oh, I guess I shouldn't say.  
But, I must reluctantly tell you that I will be taking a leave of absence for a bit.  
As you see, the next few weeks will be the busiest I have had in months.  
On Wednesday I am leaving for a school trip to Washington, D.C. and will be gone till Sunday night.  
And then starting Monday I am working from 7 AM till 10 PM everyday of the week and I also have final exams that week.  
And over that weekend I have my play performances.  
Yet somehow during this I am going to have to turn in a huge project for school.  
So I am going to be a very busy camper.  
I am sorry my reviewers, but this has to take a backseat to life for a little while.  
But, do not be dissuaded! I shall be back and when I am I will literally be free of stuff to do for months so I will do nothing but fanfiction for a while.  
Sorry this might be a week or so but I'll see you all then,**

**~Blue**


	24. Chapter 24

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 24: Forgive

**Hello everybody!  
I'm back!  
I have returned from the bone-crushing finals, and my trip!  
Ah, I am remotely relaxed now that it is summer and I have so much more time!  
I am now back in the game of twice a week updates and am very excited!  
I hope all of you are still with me even after that brief period of abandonment.  
As always, tell me if you see any errors in the chapter and I'll fix them as soon as I can.  
This chapter was edited on very little sleep, so I could have missed some things.  
Alright then, here we go!**

* * *

Kyouya let out a long, almost inaudible sigh as he turned the lock to Music Room #3.

The door swung open soundlessly and the sound of it automatically locking behind him was faint and barely noticed.

He pocketed the key absentmindedly as he looked around.

Long sheets of satin hung from the ceiling in sheets and fell to the floor, creating a maze-like effect all throughout the room.

Only faint light shined through the gauzy material draped over the windows in the music room and the light was swallowed up completely in some of the deeper recesses of the room.

He manoeuvred his was through the slim corridors of fabric and soon found himself in a small niche on the back corner of the room.

_I suppose Tamaki never pulls out any of the stops when he designs a theme for the week…_

He was standing in front of what could almost be considered a small room, there was an elegantly crafted white Balinese bed and a small table, while on all sides it was surrounded by shimmery, soft fabric.

Kyouya sat down on the bed and leaned back, a small sigh escaping from his lips.

He glanced down at the watch on his wrist.

_Only 6:23.._

_I still have roughly an hour and a half left before classes begin._

He stretched back against the cushions and laid his hands behind his head.

_There's not much I really can get done is that time period.._

_It's not like I have anything left to do._

_I might as well just lay here for an hour or so and then see if anyone else arrives then._

_This is probably the most likely place that one of the Host Club member's would go if they got here early._

He glanced around at the gently wafting fabric that was hung all around him.

_And I must admit, Tamaki did a very nice job on the 'Arabian' theme for this week._

_Although I doubt he stayed even remotely under budget._

_I'll just have to make up for it with more sales, as I always do._

Kyouya closed his eyes lightly and took a deep breath in.

_I wonder…_

His breathing began to slow.

* * *

Haruhi reached for the handle of the South Wing's 2nd Library with a small spark of hope in her chest.

_Perhaps this one might be open…_

But as she moved to turn it she was met with the firm, _**click**_, of a locked door.

"Well that's disappointing.." She muttered.

_That was the last library in the school._

_How could all of them be closed!_

_It's only 6:27! There is no reason that people shouldn't be studying now!_

Haruhi leaned back against the wall and sighed.

_Although, I doubt any of these damn rich people are even up yet._

_How does anyone here even come close to passing if they never study!_

_I swear I've never even seen one of them pick up a book._

_Rich bastards.._

She reached into the pocket of her bag and pulled out a key.

_I guess I could…_

She turned the key over in her hand and it caught some of the faint morning light.

_I mean, it would be better than sitting out here in the hallway I guess._

_As long as no one is in there.._

_I doubt any of them would even be close to waking up at this hour._

Haruhi bit her bottom lip before turning down the hallway to her right.

Then, she made her way up the all too familiar stairs to the Host Club, slowly turning the key around and around in her hand.

_Kyouya gave me this… _

_It wasn't that long ago actually, was it?_

_Only a few weeks or so I guess…_

_It seems like it was a lot more._

She scratched the back of her neck and quickly jumped up the last two stairs, taking the hallway to her right.

In front of her loomed to doorway to Music Room #3.

She pushed the key into the lock and turned it, hearing the successful click.

It swung open without even the slightest creak and Haruhi raised her eyebrows at the sight before her.

The long swatches of fabric billowed around as if a window had been left open and the entire room seemed to have a light, peaceful air.

_I bet that'll be ruined as soon as the guys get in here._

_I wonder how much it cost Tamaki-sempai to do all this.._

_This has got to be the most extravagant he has done in a while._

She made her way down a long hallway made of fabric, and looked at the small room-like alcoves that were created by the overlapping silk.

Haruhi then found herself wandering to the back of the room, right next to the window seat she usually sat in after the Host Club.

As she was making her way to it, she saw a slight movement out of the corner of her eye and turned towards it.

As quietly as she could, she poked her head into the alcove in front of her and felt her stomach tighten.

There, on top of what looked like a Balinese style bed, was Kyouya Ootori.

He was stretched out on the bed, his legs almost to the very end of it and his arms were positioned behind his head.

His eyes were closed, and judging by his slow breathing and his lack of a response, he was asleep.

Haruhi walked a little closer to him and his glasses glinted in the very faint light.

_He is still wearing them…_

_I guess I should.._

Before she could think about it she reached out and took the glasses off his face slowly, trying her hardest not to wake him up.

She folded them and set it down on the small table next to the bed.

She found herself sitting down on the coffee table in front on him with a light sigh.

Haruhi took her bag off and set it down quietly next to her.

His hand gave the slightest twitch.

_I wonder what he's dreaming about._

_Probably stocks._

_He doesn't move much when he sleeps, does he?_

_I have to say, he does look very different when he is asleep._

With his eyes closed and his glasses off, Kyouya looked very relaxed.

_He seems-_

"Now Haruhi, I realize I must be very alluring to especially when I am asleep, but are you simply going to just sit there and gaze at me all morning?"

Haruhi nearly fell off the coffee table when Kyouya spoke.

_Wasn't he just-! He was asleep!_

She noticed that her hands began to give the slightest shake and she bit her bottom lip.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at her with a faint grin, "What? No answer? Is there something you wanted from me, Haruhi?"

She blinked nervously, her eyes falling to the ground, "Uh, no. There isn't I was just-"

Kyouya reached his hand underneath her chin and pushed it up, forcing her to make eye contact with him.

"Are you sure about that?"

She froze.

"Hm?" He said a smirk on his face, "I think you may be lying to me."

He brought his face closer and closer to hers and she still didn't move.

Swiftly, his lips made their way to hers as he kissed her.

She leaned into him, enjoying the feel of being in so close proximity to him.

His lips pressed against hers slowly, every move was deliberate.

She felt him sit up on the bed and move an arm around her waist, his hand slowly pressing at the small of her back.

Somewhere, in the back of Haruhi's mind a faint alarm went off.

But, she ignored it.

Haruhi moved herself from the coffee table to the bed, next to Kyouya.

His lips were still locked with hers and he cupped her face with one hand, pressing himself closer to her.

Her hand trailed along the back of his neck.

Kyouya removed his lips from hers and whispered into Haruhi's ear, "Would I be to forward as to think that this means I am forgiven?"

_Does he mean that…_

She sat up on the bed and looked at him, "W-What did happen, with Ay-"

"I suppose you would like the long explanation then?" He didn't give her time to answer, "Well, as we had all split up to look for Ayume and saw her dart into that large forest of cherry blossoms. I followed her, and called out. She turned around, glad to see me and ran towards me. She tripped on one of the large roots from the trees. I tried to catch her, but somehow I fell as well. She ended up on top of me and for some strange reason kissed me. I must admit I moved her quite rudely off of me and I was slightly shocked by her move. Then, I went running after you and you evaded me."

Haruhi bit the inside of her cheek.

_He's telling the truth._

A small sigh of relief came from her lips, "So you didn't-"

"No." He interrupted, "I would hope that you hold me to a higher standard than that Haruhi."

"It's just that…Uhm." She trailed off, looking for words.

"I apologize." Kyouya said, clearing his throat almost awkwardly.

_Kyouya apologizing?_

_That is definitely something you don't see everyday._

_I guess I should change the subject then._

She turned towards him and gestured around them with her hand, "So, why are you in here this morning in the first place?"

He leaned back against the backboard of the bed, "Well, I had absolutely no luck sleeping, so I decided that it would be more worthwhile to come here instead of lay in my bed staring at the ceiling all morning."

"And this was definitely more worthwhile." He said under his breath.

Kyouya's eyes focused on her, "And why are you here so early as well?"

Haruhi felt momentarily distracted by the comforting heat of his leg pressed against hers but quickly shook her head to snap out of it, "I couldn't sleep either. I woke up much too early and really had nothing else to do. I was originally going to the library to study, but every single room was locked. I finally came up here, just because I knew I had the key."

"What did you need to study?"

"Well, I wanted to get some review work done; I have an Algebra II quiz. But I guess I can just look over my notes." She stretched her arms out in front of her.

Kyouya's eyes flickered over to her bags near the coffee table and then back to Haruhi, "Get out your textbook, some paper, and a pencil."

"Why?"

He looked at her oddly, "I am going to help you."

She complied, grabbing her bags off of the floor and rummaging through them.

He checked his watch, "We have another hour until classes start and I doubt either one of us has anywhere to be."

Her textbook and notebook both sat on the table in front of her but she still rummaged through her bag looking for a pencil.

_Where is it?_

_Stupid thing.._

Kyouya grabbed her arm and pulled it out of the bag before handing her a pen, "Just use mine."

"Oh, thanks." She replied, moving her bag off of the coffee table.

"Go to the review section of the lesson you're testing on and complete ten problems from each review section, I'll be back in ten minutes."

Kyouya stood up and walked towards the front of the room.

He couldn't stop the smile that was spreading onto his face.

He moved to push up his glasses and paused.

His glasses were still in the room with Haruhi.

_Great, I feel practically naked without them._

Blinking, he tried to adjust to his now less than perfect sight and shook his head in defeat.

_My god I have horrible eyesight._

He rubbed his hand against the bridge of his nose and felt a grin growing on his face again.

_Why is it that I can't stop smiling?_

_Ugh, this is incredible odd._

_Perhaps it is because you are relieved?_

_I am relieved; I suppose it could be because I am happy Haruhi forgave me._

_I didn't think she had that type of power over me that my mood changed so drastically._

He made his way to the kitchen and filled a teapot with water before setting it on the stove.

He opened the cabinet, rows upon rows of Nescafe filled the shelves.

Reaching into the back of the cabinet he found a box of green tea.

_At least that is still there._

Kyouya pulled out a teabag and set in his cup before pouring the boiling water from the teapot into it.

His eyes flickered back up to the Nescafe.

_Hrm, perhaps I should.._

On a whim he pulled down some of the instant coffee and made a cup of it.

_For Haruhi._

_I would assume she is just as tired as I am, _he rationalized.

With the two cups in hand he made his way back to Haruhi.

He stood staring at her for a moment, she was hunched over the coffee table with a, dare he say, cute look of determination on her face as she bit her lip while scribbling down problems.

She looked up briefly and saw him, her eyes focusing and then widening as a blush spread across her cheeks.

He continued to stand there are stare at her solely for the purpose of making that blush grow, and it did.

Finally, she said, "W-What are you staring at?"

"You.", Kyouya smirked and sat down at the table close enough to her that their arms were touching.

"Here." He said, setting the cup of coffee in front of her.

He took her notebook from her and looked at the equations.

Pointing to the third problem he said, "You were supposed to multiply the reciprocal by three here, not negative one. That was supposed to be multiplied here, with the six."

Haruhi leaned closer to him in her attempt to see the problem he was pointing at, "Oh, I see, does that mean the answer would be negative sixteen and two thirds?"

"That's correct." He scanned the next seven problems and pointed to number eight, "On this one you just made a careless mistake, you wrote one hundred and thirty two where it should have been one hundred and twenty three."

"I did? Well, I'll have to make sure I don't do that on the test.. " She scratched the back of her neck.

Kyouya scanned over the paper one more time, "Other than those two, there are no mistake in this. You'll do fine."

He looked at his watch, "We still have forty five minutes."

He took a sip of his tea and noticed Haruhi looking at him.

"What are you drinking?" She asked peering at the cup.

_Hmm, I might as well.._

He gave her a slight smirk and held the cup out to her, "Try it."

She looked up at him curiously and he challenged her, raising his eyebrows.

"Alright then.." She took the cup from his hands and took a sip before handing it back.

"That's green tea, right?" Haruhi guessed.

He gave a quick nod of the head in response.

Kyouya leaned back against the backboard of the bed after putting his cup down.

He felt Haruhi lean against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"What time is it?" She asked, he thought he could hear the beginnings of a yawn in her voice.

He glanced at his watch again, "Seven twenty-one."

"Mm'kay." She said.

_She sounds tired._

They both sat like that for quite some time, until Kyouya could hear Haruhi's steady even breathing against his shoulder.

He absentmindedly let a faint smile grow on his face.

He turned to see her sleeping form curled up against him.

"Sleep well, Haruhi." He whispered.

* * *

**Ah! That chapter is done!  
I hope it was good, a lot of it was written in between periods of dozing off.  
I'm happy that whole Ayume thing got resolved nicely.  
Its hard for me to write them unhappy with each other, it's kinda depressing.  
I hope to get some nice reviews for this chapter..  
I really like reviews in case you forgot..  
They make me happy.  
:D  
Yes.  
So, review my lovely readers!  
I will see you all Thursday!**

**~Blue**


	25. Chapter 25

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 25: A Game

**Hello!  
Your lovely author Blue here with another chapter.  
This one is nicely long so be prepared.  
And, we might be getting some fluff in the forecast.  
Teehee.  
Tell me if you see any mistakes, this baby was edited quickly, so there are always a few things I could miss.  
And enjoy!**

* * *

Only a little while after Haruhi felt the comfortable hand of sleep take her, she felt someone gently shaking her awake.

"Haruhi?" A quite voice said, "Wake up now."

An almost inaudible groan passed through her lips as she blinked, trying to rub off the sleep.

Her eyes focused on Kyouya who was looking down at her with the faint reminiscence of a smile on his face and she snapped awake.

"O-Oh, did I fall asleep? I'm so-"

"It's fine." The corners of his lips flickered upward, "Trust me it is. It was actually quite entertaining watching you sleep. I don't think I have seen anything like it."

She felt her face begin to grow hot and her mind began to think of ways to change the subject.

"What time is it?" She asked, looking at his wristwatch.

He glanced at it and said coolly, "7:52."

"What?" She asked, standing up and grabbing her bag off of the ground and shoving all of her stuff into it, "We're going to be late for class!"

Haruhi began to make her way to the door when she felt a cool hand on her wrist and she stopped.

Kyouya's hand slid into hers as he pulled her back towards him, "We aren't going to be late, but you should at least wait for me."

She didn't move, feeling guiltily content with the feeling of his hand in hers.

Soon enough Kyouya stood up with his bag and glasses on and pulled her out of the niche and through the door of Music Room #3.

She noticed his pace quicken as they descended the stairs and she internally smirked.

_Hm, so he is worried about being late.._

Haruhi could hear the chatter of Ouran students around the bend of the hallway and she noticed Kyouya's hand drop from hers quickly.

_Oh._

He pushed the doors of the South Wing open for her and she walked through, squinting in the now bright morning light.

"We can still make it if we hurry Haruhi, this way." He gestured to his right, through as small alley in between buildings.

They moved through the alleyway and came out halfway between the entrances of Class 1 and Class 2.

Kyouya smirked as he looked at his watch, "Here we are at 7:55 with time to spare."

Haruhi let out a light sigh, "I guess you were right then. Great."

She was in the process of turning around when he said, "Oh, before we part ways for the day Haruhi. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to an event tonight."

"Hm?" She said, looking back at him, "What kind of event are we talking about?"

"Nothing too outrageous. My father has some business clients coming in town, the Kiamore's. You might remember them from the welcoming party for the Karenazawa's. My father said that you had apparently made a very nice impression on them, so he asked if I would escort you again. We are going to the Leatone Opera House. It wouldn't take terribly long, and I am sure it will be at least mildly interesting to you."

He looked at her with a light smile and she sighed again, "I guess I'll come, as long as I am not forced into some uncomfortable dress with God awful heels like the last time."

Kyouya let out a low chuckle, "Thank you. I suppose I'll talk to you after the Host Club then."

He flashed her a dazzling smile, "Oh, and have a good day Haruhi."

"You too." She smiled back as she watched him walk away from her into the Class 2's building.

Haruhi turned and made her way into the Class 1-A's room with only minutes to spare.

She had just barely sat down when the bell rang and she sighed with a smile still on her face.

* * *

Haruhi hopped up the steps of the South Wing, taking two at a time.

She was in an oddly cheerful mood.

Her hand barely graced the railing as she made a quick turn to the right and she opened the door to the Host Club.

"Haruhi!~" Tamaki sung, swinging her around and grabbing her into a large bear hug.

She gulped and then wriggled back and forth to get free, eventually resorting to yelling, "Let go Tamaki-sempai!"

He released the unnaturally strong grip of his arms and she fell on the floor.

A hand swiftly pulled her up and she recognized it to be Kyouya, who said gave her a small smirk and said, "Now that hasn't happened in a while, has it?"

He let go of her hand and continued walking across the room to a small couch.

Haruhi looked around at the Arabian decorations from this morning, the silky fabric was now covered in twinkling lights which lit the room dimly, seeing as the windows were all covered.

"Do you like the decorations Haruhi? Don't they inspire such an overwhelming romantic passion inside of you, like a-"

"No, they don't." She replied bluntly, making her way to the back room.

She could practically hear Tamaki go into his Corner of Woe as she walked.

Inside the back room was a rack of costumes, each labelled with a name.

She quickly flipped through them and pulled out the one labelled with hers before walking into the changing room.

She inspected it with a sigh before putting it on and looking in the mirror.

It was a gauzy mess in her eyes, pants and a shirt; sewn together to look as if it were going to fall off at any moment.

The fabric strips fell down her body in every which way and was only stopped by an intricately weaved belt that seemed to be made out of a variety of twines and beads.

Around her head was a kaffiyeh (Arabian head wrapping) with a twine-made band to hold the white fabric in place as it fell onto her neck and around her head.

"Eh.." She said, shrugging her shoulders before walking out of the changing room with her other clothes in hand.

Haruhi quickly deposited them in her cabinet in the back of the room and opened the door to the main room.

The rest of the Host's were already in place at the large sitting area in front of the door and they looked towards her as she walked.

She noticed Kyouya watch her carefully as she walked by and as she came closer to him she could see the thin smirk on his face grow bigger tauntingly when their eyes met.

She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to return his challenge as discreetly as she could, but she only succeeded in making his grin grow larger.

"Haruhi! Sit over here!" Hikaru said, pointing to the seat next to his.

"Oh, okay." She said, a plan beginning to form in her head.

Although it wasn't completely her style, Haruhi found herself for once wanting to win against Kyouya.

_I suppose it couldn't be a bad idea.._

_I mean, what's the worst that could happen.._

_Even though I haven't ever really done anything of this sort before, I'm sure I'll be able to pull it off._

The place where she was directed to sit was a small spot in between Hikaru and Tamaki.

She passed a small opening in front of Kyouya to sit down next to the others.

She found herself barely fitting into the small seat in between the two men but she didn't say anything, she just let herself be lightly pushed against them both as she sat.

"Whoa, look at this Haruhi!" Hikaru said, grabbing her by the elbow and turning her towards Kaoru, who was above him, to see Kaoru covered in the gauzy wrappings of his shirt so that he looked like a mummy.

Hikaru laughed, moving himself towards Haruhi just enough so that Haruhi began to fall back and her head landed on Tamaki, who stiffened and turned towards her.

"Oh, sorry." She said, sitting up.

"It's fine!" He said with a smile before turning back to his conversation with Honey on his right.

She turned her head back to look at Kyouya who was glaring at her darkly.

What had once been a small grin began to grow on her face as she looked at the obviously very annoyed Kyouya and she shrugged.

As he mouthed the words, 'Be prepared for revenge Haruhi' a shiver went down her spine and she turned back around, suddenly very afraid of what she had invoked.

She swallowed.

Tamaki clapped loudly and said, "Alright everyone! Here is the plan for today. We will all have separate 'rooms' today. In each one of the corners is a small room area with chairs and a couch or bed. Each one of us will man one of these for the entire day. I get the one to our immediate left, the twins get the one to our immediate right, Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai get the in the back left corner of the room and Haruhi gets the back right corner. Try and keep up the Arabian theme as much as you can, it is romantic and alluring, perfect for charming all of the wonderful ladies hearts."

Haruhi let out an obvious sigh as she realized the room she would be hosting in today was the same room she had been with Kyouya in earlier.

She did her best to try and discreetly looked over her shoulder at Kyouya; who's eyes flickered up from something he was writing in his notebook to meet hers with a smug smile.

_Well, this is going to be interesting.. _

Hikaru tapped her arm and she turned towards the now opening door just in time to put on a big smile and say, "Welcome!" to the entering girls.

* * *

Haruhi had laid down on the bed in her small 'room' and her eyes drooped.

She had bid farewell to all of her clients only a few minutes ago and her mind seemed to have crashed.

_Well, that's what you get for having four hours of sleep and then trying to function all day._

_I wonder how I'll make it through that opera with Kyouya tonight.._

She shuddered.

_I wonder if he is still serious about that revenge.._

_I really hope not.. I can't say I've ever seen him try and get revenge on someone, and I doubt it is going to be simple._

Her mind went through a myriad of scenarios that he could probably make happen and she shuddered again.

Haruhi heard the soft pad of footsteps come her way and she sat up slowly.

Kyouya looked over her reaching out a hand, which she gladly took, and pulled her up off of the bed and into his arms.

"So, I suppose someone was tired again?" He said quietly, his voice only loud enough for her to hear.

She contemplated denying it and then dismissed the idea, "Perhaps.. I just haven't caught on to this whole, no sleep and somehow still functioning idea you have."

"And now you see my reasons for constantly sleeping in, it makes up for lost time."

"Why would you do that if you could just go to sleep at a normal hour and then wake up normally as the rest of us do?" She asked, her face pressed against the top of his chest.

She heard a chorus of goodbyes come from the door as Tamaki had his clients exit.

"Are those the last ones?" She wondered out loud before asking, "We're still on for tonight, right?"

"Why of course," He began, taking his arms off of Haruhi and pushing her gently out into the main room with him, "Is there a reason why we wouldn't be?"

"No, I just-"

She was interrupted by two pairs of hands grabbing her and screaming, "Haruhi! We forgot to tell you how adorable you look in that outfit we made you!"

Kaoru lifted up a strip of fabric and whispered, "You could keep it if you want."

Hikaru's voice also floated into her ear, to close for comfort, "Yes, it does look very nice on you, so we wouldn't mind."

She glanced over at Kyouya, who was still a few meters away where she had left him.

He was looking at the twin's arms around her with an odd glare of annoyance that made Haruhi chuckle.

Hikaru looked at her laughing face with a curious expression.

"What's so funny?", he looked down at his and Kaoru's hands around her stomach, "Are you ticklish or something?"

His hand lightly moved along the bottom of her ribs and she saw Kyouya's glare deepen, which only made her laugh more.

"You are?"

Both of their hands moved to tickle her and Haruhi watched Kyouya carefully.

His hands slowly began to tighten into fists as he looked at her and he nonchalantly shoved them into his pockets.

She let herself laugh for just a little bit longer and then straightened up and said, "Stop, I'm, uh, not ticklish. I was actually laughing at something else."

"Oh yeah, what was it then?" Hikaru asked, obviously not believing her.

She slipped out of their arms, "Something."

_That was an intelligent response on my part.._

Walking back towards Kyouya,who was still shooting her a dark glare, she gave him the slightest of grins.

_I think I just won.._

She heard the loud ringing of the clock tower as she walked, it was seven already.

Kyouya turned his head towards her, "I suppose that means it is our time to go then. We should change quickly."

They both walked into the back room grabbing their clothes and then going into separate changing rooms.

Haruhi slipped on a blue stripped shirt and a pair of shorts before stepping out of the dressing room and hanging her outfit back up on the rack.

_There is no way I am keeping that.._

She walked back into the main room where Kyouya was already waiting for her as they began to walk towards the door he stopped.

"Tamaki?" He called out, looking around for him.

"What?" Tamaki called out as he walked out of the shower room wearing fresh clothes and a towel around his head.

"I believe it is yours and the twins turn to clean up for the day."

The King of the Host Club's eyes began to water, "But… But Kyouya.. I was going to go home and play with Antoine-"

"You can do that after you clean."

He pouted and then yelled out, "Hikaru, Kaoru, we have cleaning duties today!"

Two groans rang out as Kyouya pushed her to the door.

"Hey, what is everyone else doing? Why do we have to be the only ones cleaning up?" Hikaru said, pointing the questions at Kyouya.

He turned towards Hikaru, "Well, Haruhi, Mori-sempai, and Honey-sempai both cleaned last week and I do enough work in the mornings arranging for all of the food and drinks to be bought and brought here as well as cleaning up any messes you missed that I am excused as well."

The red haired twin gave a loud sigh, rolling his eyes and turned back to his brother.

Kyouya pulled Haruhi by the wrist and led her out the door and around the corner of the hallway, where her hand slipped into his.

"That was interesting." She commented, glancing back towards the door of the Host Club.

"I still doubt they will get any actual cleaning done."

"Eh, probably not." She replied.

He pushed up his glasses with his free hand as they descended the last steps on the staircase.

Kyouya pushed the door open for her and she walked right into the limo.

She scooted down the row of seats a little bit, leaving him plenty of room.

But, their bodies still touched as he sat down next to her, seeming determined to remain in contact with her.

His arm wrapped around her lower back and he pulled her just a tiny bit closer to him.

The car started moving forward.

"So, Haruhi. Would you like to explain your actions to me, or would you like my revenge to be extracted now."

She blinked, not understanding what he was asking.

He stared at her for a little while longer, seeing if she was going to give a response.

_Oh! I know, he want me to tell him why I-_

It seemed he had reached his time limit for responses.

"Time's up." He said, leaning closer to her.

His hand reached to the side of her face and he pulled her lips to his.

Kyouya pushed his body closer to her, closing up any small gap there may have been in between them.

His lips pushed against her more fervently than they had before and a light shiver went through her as she felt his hand touch a bare spot of skin on her lower back.

She responded to his kiss, instinctively kissing him back.

As his cold hand ran along the base of her chin Haruhi gave a small gasp and his tongue slid into her mouth.

Her heart began to pound as she tasted him and she moved into it, enjoying the sharp, minty taste that had now taken over her mouth.

An almost inaudible groan escaped from her lips that he somehow seemed to hear.

He pressed closer to her, but lifted his lips off of hers.

"What are you-" She began.

"I'm reminding you of something next time you try and gauge my reactions from a petty game Haruhi. I wouldn't be jealous of their actions because I know one thing."

"And what is that?" She asked quietly.

His voice turned into a low whisper," You are mine."

* * *

**Heheh.  
Well, did you get your fangirl fix from that?  
Ah, I love writing fluff.  
Thank you for all of your reviews!  
Each and every one of them make me happy.  
So, you all should review this time too.  
Heehee.  
Alright, see you all Sunday!**

**~Blue**


	26. Chapter 26

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 26: The World of the Rich

**Hello Fanfiction!  
Your friendly neighbourhood author here with another update.  
Yup, I know, fourteen hours late. But, you'll all live.  
This chapter was almost painful too write because of the amount of writers block it gave me..  
Seriously, I had to call over HaloGrace, a fellow fanfictioner, to help me get back on track and she did.  
But, when she left my brain wandered..  
I ended up shutting off my internet to stop procrastination..  
But, I turned it back on again.  
I don't think it helped that I was abducted by my family halfway through writing either.  
We were outside for 12 hours and when I came back I almost passed out from the lack of water.  
Yeah, lets just put it as: This chapter was hard to write.  
But, I got it done.  
So, leave it to me in a review if there are any mistakes.  
And here comes chapter 26!**

* * *

It was only about five minutes later that the limousine pulled in the driveway of the Ootori Mansion.

Haruhi found herself looking at the large circular building in front of her with a faint curiosity.

It wasn't as if she hadn't seen it before, no, she still clearly remembered the events of the Karenazawa's welcoming party not too long ago.

_It's just that..._

She leaned back from the window, her shoulder now lightly touching Kyouya's.

As they had pulled into the gates an odd silence seemed to have fallen over him.

She glanced towards him, raising an eyebrow but he simply looked back at her before reaching for a button on the ceiling of the limo.

As he pressed it he said, "Drop us in the back please."

_Are the rich really too lazy to speak just a little bit louder to give commands now…?_

As if reading her thoughts he said, "It's soundproof in here for privacies sake. That microphone system is the only way we could communicate with the driver. Really Haruhi, give the rich more credit."

She rolled her eyes, "And how was I supposed to know that?"

The car pulled to a stop and Kyouya opened the door for Haruhi.

Haruhi pulled herself out of the car and took a moment to glance around.

The house loomed far above her and its metallic silver walls seemed to glint in the fading light. Large windows were placed all around the house, their surfaces reflective from the outside.

She felt Kyouya pull at her arm and tug her towards the large door in front of them.

"Hurry please Haruhi." He said quietly, pulling the door open for her and then quickly entering behind her.

He placed his hand on her back and pushed her to the left, down a long stretch of hallway and then to the right up a flight of stairs.

She sighed and shook her head at the plush carpet covering the stairs made her feet sink slightly down as she walked.

_Damn rich bastards and their damn squishy stairs…_

She followed him as he walked down another long hallway and opened the last door on the right, gesturing for her to go in, "Here we are."

Haruhi complied and walked into the room, looking for a place to set down her school bag.

_So this is Kyouya's bedroom.._

Looking around, she sighed.

"Rich bastard.." She said under her breath.

The large bedroom was slightly imposing with its white walls and furniture. Two sleek white couches and a very modern looking desk stood in front of her, glowing in contrast with the dark blue rug and brown hardwood flooring.

The wall to her right had dark wooden shelves that held a massive plasma television, which also made Haruhi sigh.

She felt a hand lightly bump her on the head, turning around she saw Kyouya with an all too familiar smirk on his face, "Thinking about how much of a 'rich bastard' I am, Haruhi?"

_Once again, he reads my mind.._

"Maybe.." She said, taking a step forward.

"You can put your bag over here." He said, walking towards his desk and setting his own bag down by it.

As she walked towards it, she noticed a flight of stairs leading upward to a second level.

"Is it really necessary to have two different floors to your bedroom?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"No." Kyouya replied, his smirk growing bigger.

_I swear he enjoys me being annoyed.._

"Anyways, the clothes that you need to change into are in the bathroom," He pointed to his right where another door stood, "I'll be up there-"

He paused at the loud buzzing noise coming from his pocket, "Please hold on one moment Haruhi."

Picking the phone out of his pocket he held it up to his ear, "Hello, Father."

Kyouya began to walk towards the other side of the room as he spoke into the phone, his voice low enough so that she couldn't hear.

_Well this is great.._

_I guess I should get changed into whatever death trap I have to wear.._

She turned around and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

_Oh God… How am I doing this willingly.._

Haruhi pulled her clothes off with an inward groan and folded them into a neat pile on the counter.

Hanging on the side of the door was a large garment bag which she reluctantly unzipped.

_Have I ever mentioned how much I hate dresses… _

_At least this one looks better than the stuff the twins try and force me into.._

She slipped the dress on and looked at herself in the mirror.

The blue, silky material covered just her shoulders and was annoyingly low cut for Haruhi. Underneath her bust there was a band of darker blue fabric that looked as if it were held in place by a small flower made of silk. The dress fell to just below her knees.

She sighed, brushing her hands along it.

_At least its not as bad as it could be.._

Then she noticed the two pairs of shoes sitting underneath the garment bad.

They looked almost exactly the same to her so she reached out and grabbed the pair to the left.

And that's when she noticed the height.

She let out a sigh and muttered, "Damn Kyouya.."

The pair of shoes she was holding had to have had at least a four inch stiletto heel.

Haruhi picked up the other pair hand held them up for comparison, expecting the worst.

And, she was actually wrong.

The pair she now held in her right hand had much smaller heels that were a normal width.

_At least these are possible to walk in._

She slipped them on her feet reluctantly and wobbled as she tried to stand up.

_But, why would anyone choose to walk in these things!_

There was one more thing that was sitting on the floor, a medium sized silver box.

She pulled the lid off and peered inside.

_Really…_

Inside of it was an all too familiar wig.

She groaned.

* * *

Kyouya looked at himself in the mirror.

He adjusted his suit jacket once more and moved his tie to the center.

_I wonder if Haruhi is done yet.._

_I would like to see her face when she comes out._

_It should be pretty comical. _

_I must say the fact that she changed without me having to threaten her with the twins coming over or something else is quite a big step for her._

He ran a hand through his hair.

_I'm very interested to see how tonight plays out._

_It seems my father is up to something._

_He did call me just to see if Haruhi was actually coming tonight, and he seemed slightly glad that she was._

_I doubt it has anything to do with the Kiamore's 'requesting her'._

_But, I also wonder how Haruhi will handle herself tonight._

_After a little instruction she held up well at the welcoming party._

_I think she will do fine at this as well, and hopefully she will make a good impression on my father._

Kyouya turned around just as the door opened, revealing a slightly irate looking Haruhi.

"You look very pretty Haruhi." He said, walking closer to her, "But, your wig is off.."

He watched her eyes grow slightly wider in surprise as he tugged at the wig, moving it back into place.

He suppressed the grin that was about to grow on face by pushing up his glasses.

_I still have no idea why I find her irritation this amusing._

She looked up at him with her eyebrows raised, "Do I really have to wear this?"

"Yes, you do." He said, turning towards the door to hide another grin.

"Alright then, I suppose that we should begin to go. My father would like us there in thirty minutes."

He noticed her glance back where her bags were, "Don't worry. They'll be in the car when we are picked up."

"Oh. " She said, giving a slight nod before following him out of the room.

He noticed her walk was slightly staggered as she tried to adjust to the small heels.

He stifled a laugh, "Are those shoes really that hard to walk in?"

"Yes. I don't see why I am always forced to wear them! What's the difference between being 5"1' and 5"? Nothing important enough to walk in these God awful death traps for.."

Kyouya chuckled, looking down at her agitated face.

She pulled at the side of her dress, "Do people really dress up this nicely just to go to an opera?"

"Yes." He replied watching her reaction.

"I don't see why.. I mean, you are just sitting, watching a performance. That doesn't require you to look nice, does it?" Haruhi moved a hand through her hair.

"I see your point, but it is still required, just as you have to dress up for masquerade balls and other dances when you could dance in jeans and a tee-shirt. It is the proper way of culture."

Kyouya opened the door for her as they exited the building, and she got in the waiting limo.

As the car began to pull out of the driveway he said, "As I said before we are going to the Leatone Opera House. There we will be seeing Raboēmu, a very popular opera that was originally played in America, that focuses on the love between the seamstress Mimi and the poet Rodolfo. It's a rather interesting piece. After words I am sure that we will end up talking to the Kiamore's for quite some time. Practically be on hosting behaviour. Stay pleasant and cordial to them the entire time, no matter how rude their actions could be. It is extremely important that you make a good impression on them and my Father, seeing as he will be present as well. Quite frankly, I have no idea what he is up to. But, it is also important that you do not reveal anything about our relationship seein-"

"I know what to do. Trust me I won't do anything stupid." She looked up at him with a smile, "I'll be on my best behaviour, even with these death heels on…"

"We must act as if I am simply escorting you tonight." His hand brushed against hers.

He felt the car slowly roll to a stop, "We're here. Let's try not to ruin any social standings, alright?"

The door of the limousine opened and he stepped out, offering his hand to Haruhi.

He felt her take it with a slight squeeze that was probably meant to be reassuring, although it only put Kyouya more on edge.

_This must go perfectly._

As they stepped forward into the crowd of people he heard the car start up behind him and drive off.

"Follow me." He said quietly making his way through the crowd.

* * *

Haruhi didn't think she had ever seen this many rich people in her life.

Everywhere she turned fur coats and shining jewellery jumped out at her on the bodies of pompous looking women.

She felt a slight tug on her arm as Kyouya moved forward into the crowd of people.

The smell of perfume was overwhelming and she tried to stifle a cough.

As they moved away from the entrance, the crowd began to thin and Haruhi took a long breath.

Kyouya's arm was now linked with hers as he escorted her to their right and up a flight of velvet covered stairs.

_Why should I even be surprised…_

The staircase they were walking up was intricately carved and inset with different types of wood.

The railing seemed to sparkle and she wondered absentmindedly what type of jewel they were made of.

They stopped moving and Kyouya's arm tightened, drawing her just a little bit closer to him so that he could whisper, "We are going to be in a box seat of our own, it is the one to the immediate left of the staircase. But, before we sit there, we will be going to the box directly to the right of that, that is where the Kiamore's and my Father will be. Once we exchange greetings we will sit down for the first act of the opera."

She swallowed and nodded, her face felt flushed from the lack of space in the stairwell.

They began walking up the spiralling stairs once more and after only a few more steps they emerged at the entrance to four box seats.

He directed her to the one on their right, which they both entered to find the Kiamore's laughing lightly at something Kyouya's father must have said.

The three adults looked up at them from their seats and stood up.

_Alright.. I think I remember their names.. _

_There was… Kazuga Kiamore, the wife to… Uhm.. Sa- Something._

_Oh Satori! Satori and Kazuga Kiamore._

The two of them stood up, walking around their chairs to face her and Kyouya.

Satori stepped forward, shaking Kyouya's hand with a smile, "Ah, Kyouya Ootori. I'm glad to see you once more; I hope you are faring well?"

He smiled in return, "Yes, I have been doing quite well, I assure you. How have you been?"

Haruhi was then approached by Kazuga, the older lady shook her hand with a bright smile, "Ah, Haruhi, wasn't it? I am quite happy to see you again. How have you been, dear?"

She smiled back at the lady, "I've been great, thank you for asking, and how are you?"

Haruhi noticed Kazuga pull down on the fabric of her dress as she said, "I've been just wonderful. I am glad to be back in the hospitality of the Ootori's once again."

"Your dress is very beautiful looking, where did you get it?" She asked, hoping she had struck a good note.

Kazuga's face brightened up, "Oh, you think so? I was thinking it looked a tad homely on me, but Satori convinced me otherwise. I thought he was only saying it to be kind. I got it at Boutique de la Dame, it's this quaint little shop in Paris. It's absolutely wonderful!"

"It sound like it is, I will have to go there someday." She replied with a smile, now looking at the woman's dress.

_I can see why she thought it looked homely… _

The long, eggplant coloured dress Kazuga Kiamore wore hugged her pudgy body too tightly and fell to the ground, pooling around her feet. Shining beads were woven all around the bodice of it and they showed off her her bulky jewellery.

Satori stepped next to his wife and extended his hand to Haruhi, "Hello Haruhi. I'm Satori Kiamore, I believe we talked at the welcoming party for the Karenezawa's. It's very nice to see you again. How are you?"

She smiled again, "I'm quite fine, just glad to be meeting such important business people such as yourselves for the second time."

He gave a slight nod, "As I remember, you are planning on becoming a lawyer, right?"

"Yes."

"With such a tie to the Ootori family as you must have, you must have thought about your opportunities with the Karenazawa Law Firm, yes?"

She paused, "I guess I haven't really. I don't want to be dependant on the Ootori's for a job opportunity."

"Ah, I see, what a smart young lady you are."

Yoshio Ootori stepped towards them, joining the conversation with, "Yes, she is, top of her class as I have heard."

"Thank you." She said, looking both of the men in the eyes.

The lights of the opera house flickered on and off three times.

"Ah," Yoshio said, "That means it is almost time for the show to start."

"Yes." Satori said, walking back to his seat and beginning a conversation with is wife.

Haruhi swallowed as she realized that Yoshio still stood in front of her, a look of cold determination coming from his eyes.

"Haruhi," He began, taking a step towards her, "Would you mind terribly if I was frank with you for a moment?"

She shook her head, "Not at all, please go ahead."

She could feel her heart thumping inside of her chest as he looked at her with eyes black as coal.

"I have been watching the actions of you and Kyouya for quite some time and a few things have perplexed me."

He continued, "So, I would like to know what exactly is your personal relationship with my son and how exactly do you wish to justify it?"

* * *

**Urgh..  
Yoshio scares me slightly..  
Just saying..  
He is very ruthless sounding..  
*Shivers*  
Anyways, I'd like to ask a tiny weenie little favour of you.  
Please, please, please can you…  
Review?  
I know you all have busy lives and you might not have the time to write a well thought out critique of this story.  
A simple: "I like dis chapter." Or perhaps even a "This story sux" If you don't enjoy it will suffice.  
Any ideas about future chapters or preditctions are great too.  
You just don't know how much fuel in my writing trail is made of reviews..  
Really, it's about 80% reviews in the gas of writing.  
Yeah, I know. That was a lame analogy, but still..  
Anyways, this time I WILL see you on Thursday, and not 12:22 A.M. on Friday like I did last time.  
Alright, see you all then!**

**~Blue**


	27. Chapter 27

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 27: Confront and Deflect

**Hello there!  
Here we are at another new chapter!  
This one's kinda long, so be prepared.  
I hope you all enjoy!  
But, tell me if you see any mistakes in this one, I'm really OCD about them, but I can always miss a few.  
There's another contest going on for the story, so see it at the bottom Author's note!  
Other than that, enjoy because here comes Chapter 27!**

* * *

Haruhi stood frozen in place as Yoshio spoke to her.

A breath passed through her lips slowly as thoughts raced through her head.

_This is exactly what Kyouya warned me about, isn't it?_

_My God, what am I supposed to do?_

_I'm going to have to flat out lie, won't I?_

_Urgh, I can't. I've never been able to even act.._

_How can I-_

_I guess Kyouya is kind of depending on me on this one.._

_I don't exactly know what his father will do if he figures out about our.. relationship.. _

_But, it must be something extreme enough so that he doesn't want it to happen._

She realized a few seconds had passed and Yoshio was looking at her expectantly.

_Oh God, I've god to-_

She began speaking the first thing that came to her, "Kyouya is simply my friend, Ootori-san, nothing more. I apologize if you were under the impression that he and I were something else. I have become this friendly with him through our relations at the Host Club and he simply asked me to attend the previous event out of courtesy. I can assure you that there is nothing going on between the two of us."

She lifted her head up and looked at Yoshio Ootori straight in the eyes, trying her hardest not to show how unbelievably nervous she was.

He looked back at her with an eyebrow slightly raised.

"Interesting." He said before turning around and walking back to his seat.

Haruhi drew in a long breath as her eyes glanced around the box.

_Kyouya must already have gone back to where we are sitting._

Slowly she turned around and walked out to the hallway, taking a left to get to the box in which she would be sitting in.

As she entered she saw Kyouya sitting down glancing over the audience with a strange look of curiosity on his face.

Silently, she sat down at the seat next to him, her heart still beating oddly fast from her encounter with Yoshio.

Kyouya took notice and turned towards her, "Something wrong?"

"No, why?" Her eyes flickered downward.

"Because you look like you just witnessed a murder."

She looked up at him with a sigh, "It's nothing of that calibre."

"But, it is still something, isn't it?" He said, leaning just the smallest bit closer, just enough for her to notice.

"Your father just asked me outright about our relationship." She said quietly, feeling a guilty pleasure at the look of raw surprise that flashed on his face for what could have only been a second before he composed himself again.

"And what did you say?" He asked, deadly serious.

"I told him that there was nothing going on between us and that I was nothing more than your friend. To which he simply said, 'Interesting' before walking off."

Haruhi noticed the very faint sigh of relief that came from his mouth as she spoke.

At that moment the lights dimmed until the entire opera house was pitch black and the sound of an orchestra beginning to play filled the air.

* * *

Haruhi stood up, stretching her arms behind her head with a light yawn.

The lights of the opera house had flickered on only moments before and she was already eager to leave the building far behind.

She stopped on her way to the door when she felt the cool presence of Kyouya's hand on her arm as he said quietly, "We cannot leave yet, Haruhi. Please wait."

She looked down, feeling slightly embarrassed by her childish eagerness to leave.

The soft padding of feet flowed out of the hallway and Kyouya's hand dropped from her arm.

"Follow my lead now." He said, swiftly walking into the box to their right, with Haruhi trailing behind him.

As soon as she stepped into the small balcony of people Kazuga Kiamore jumped in front of her with a smile, "Ah wasn't that wonderful! The woe filled tale of love between Mimi and Rodolfo! It is all too exciting! Such wondrous love! Don't you think so?"

_Well, actually I find it a moronic tale about two people falling instantly in love and then dying just one act later, not very romantic or wonderful at all._

She smiled back, "Yes, it was very interesting."

Haruhi noticed the Kyouya and the two other men begin to walk out into the hallway and towards the stairs.

Kazuga followed them, slowly moving herself along as she continued to talk, "Ah, it was! Now, we women have to stick together on certain things so I must ask: Don't you think the actor playing Rodolfo was absolutely beautiful?"

She blinked and had to restrain herself from laughing.

_Is she talking about the moustached man that looked like his hair was covered in grease?_

"Oh, yes." She replied, trying her best to imitate one of the gushing clients from the Host Club, "Of course."

"Oh I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the way he pursued Mimi was absolutely disarming!"

By this time the two ladies had reached the end of the stairs and they stepped out into the main floor of the opera house, which was still flooded with people.

The three men stood waiting for them while talking to themselves.

But, as Kazuga approached her husband he turned to them and said, "Ah, now that you are both here I would like to extend an invitation for you two to enjoy dinner with me at Aragawa, one of Tokyo's best restaurants."

Satori smiled, "Thank you for your offer, of course we will join you."

"That is wonderful, just tell your driver to take you to Aragawa, he will know where that is." Yoshio's lips were drawn into a smile.

"I'm sure he will. Alright, we should be going now. We might need to make a quick stop before going to the restaurant. Thank you, we'll see you there!" Said Satori before turning around and walking towards the exit of the opera house with his wife.

As soon as the pair were lost in the crowd Yoshio gestured for Kyouya to walk with him.

Silently, he obeyed walking towards his father, leaving Haruhi watching them from beside the entrance to the stairs.

She could see Yoshio's mouth move quickly as he talked to Kyouya and his hand gestured to the elevator behind him.

Kyouya nodded in reply, his eyes flickered towards her.

She rocked back and forth on her heels, trying to not feel out of place standing here on the outskirts of a crowd filled with wealthy families.

It was a hard task to accomplish.

Her eyes flickered upward as she saw Kyouya slowly making his way back through the crowd.

She took a few steps forward to meet him and as he approached her he said, "I apologize for leaving you alone in a crowd of what you would most preferably call 'rich bastards' but-"

"It's fine." She said, giving a grin at his wording.

"As I was saying," He continued, drawing her away from the crowd as they talked, "Is it possible that I could make up for it with dinner?"

At his question, her stomach growled, loudly and she could feel a slight flush coming over her face.

Kyouya chuckled, his hand covering his mouth slightly, as if to hide it and Haruhi's face grew even redder.

"I suppose that is a yes then?" He said, placing his hand on her shoulder lightly, pushing her towards the elevator door.

A light sigh left her mouth as she knew there was no hope in escaping the world of the rich for at least another hour, "I suppose it is."

"We will be dining alone tonight, seeing as my father and the Kiamore's have other plans," He looked back at her with a grin, "I hope you don't mind too dearly."

"Trust me, not at all." She said, rubbing a hand on the edge of her dress.

The elevator let out a high-pitched _**'Ding!' **_as it opened and the two both walked inside of it quickly.

Kyouya pressed the button for floor six and the doors slid shut, blocking out the buzz of the crowd almost instantly.

"There's a restaurant here?" She asked with her eyebrows raised as she looked up at Kyouya.

"Yes, and a very good one at that. They have quite a reputation for those who know of it." He leaned back against the railing of the elevator.

"What do you mean 'for those who know of it'?" She wondered, noticing the very little amount of room between him and her.

The elevator began to stop and Haruhi's shoulder bumped against his as he spoke, "Well, this restaurant is usually very picky about who they let in. Normally, it is just the big shot names at the time or like any of the families in the Host Club, a family that completely rules their aspect of the market and will for a very long time."

She let out what could be considered a mixture between a sigh and a groan, "So it's basically a restaurant for the richest of rich people. Great."

With that the elevator doors slid open into a scene of elegance paired with modernity.

Two waiters stood at the entrance and they bowed deeply before saying, "Welcome to Takusan no niwa, Ootori-sama."

"Thank you," Kyouya replied, "Could we have the same seats as normal?"

_Damn rich bastard…_

"Yes of course Ootori-sama, right this way." The waiter on the right gestured for them to follow him and began walking.

Haruhi took notice of the rich wood panels and carvings that lined the walls with a sigh.

_I'm not even going to bother saying it to him; he must know by now what a rich bastard he is._

Kyouya looked back at her with a smirk, probably knowing what she was thinking.

_Of course he knows, and he seems to enjoy it._

"Alright," The waiter said, "You're table will be right over he-"

"Haruhi? Kyouya? Hi!" Called out an all too familiar voice.

They both sighed and began to walk over to the table where none other than Tamaki Suoh could be waiting for them.

She blinked in surprise and a slight bit of shock as she saw him sitting next to Ayume Karenazawa.

"Oh, hello, " Said Ayume with a smile, "It's odd to see you two here."

"Indeed it is.." Added Tamaki, "But, I believe that it was destiny for us to meet here! You two were destined to meet us and now to sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal with us!"

Kyouya glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and she shrugged, "Alright then.." She said, neither particularly excited nor reluctant.

Ayume got up from her seat, which was across from Tamaki, and moved so she was sitting directly to his left.

Haruhi and Kyouya sat down next to each other in the two, now empty seats.

The waiter quickly gave them their menus with a nod and walked off.

"So what brings you two here?" Haruhi asked, "Did you see the opera as well?"

Tamaki's smile grew wide, "Yes! We did and it was great, don't you think Ayume?"

He didn't give her a chance to respond, "The heart-breaking romance in between two tormentedly lost souls!"

He sniffled, using his napkin to wipe his tears, "It brings me to-_**sniff**_- tears!"

"I think I know someone who you would get right along with on this subject.." She muttered, thinking of Kazuga Kiamore.

"What was that?" Tamaki said through his tears.

"So what brings you two here?" Ayume asked with a smile.

Kyouya answered her with, "My father had a business associate coming in town that Haruhi had apparently made a considerably good impression on at your families welcoming event. As they were talking to my father about their plans to go to the opera with him, they requested that Haruhi and I come as well. As you can see, we both agreed and found ourselves here afterwards to have dinner."

"Ah, I see." Ayume replied, as she picked up menu.

Haruhi looked down at the menu in her hand.

Her mouth began to water at the delicious sounding foods described and she began to fanaticize about which one would taste best.

She was hopelessly lost in her bliss until she looked at the prices.

She swallowed, now feeling completely at loss on the etiquette of the situation.

"What do you suppose I order?" She asked, looking up at Kyouya.

He looked at her with a small smile and then back to the menu, "I suggest the Tataki."

Tamaki nodded, "Oh yes Haruhi! You'd definitely love the Tataki! It's great here!"

"Oh, okay then.. I guess I'll get that then." She bit the inside of her lip unconsciously.

"Wait a second," Haruhi said, remembering something, "Weren't you planning on going home and just playing with Antoinette today Tamaki-sempai? Wasn't that why you were on cleaning duty for the Host Club, because you had nothing to do today?"

Tamaki snapped his fingers, "Exactly. I did have nothing to do today. But, as I was completing the absolutely horrendous task of cleaning I received a phone call. Now on this phone call my father told me that a young lady was in need of a proper escort to the opera this evening and that I was requested to be that escort! Seeing as I couldn't leave a lady waiting, I rushed out of the Host Club in a hurry and quickly drove home! Then after changing and some other, very important tasks, I hurried to the Karenazawa residence where I picked up this-," He pointed to Ayume, "-beautiful maiden and happily escorted her to the Leamore Opera House!"

"So you basically left your job to the twins to go to a frivolous activity.." Kyouya said, obviously trying to upset Tamaki.

It worked, "No! No! No! That is not it at all I was required by the honour code of man to escort a lady in need!"

"Of course you were." Haruhi replied sceptically.

A waiter walked up to the table with a polite smile, "Hello, my name is Matsuda. May I take your order?"

"Oh, yes!" Tamaki said, "The Fugu-chiri for me please."

He looked at Ayume who said, "Oh, I'll have the Tora-fugu."

Kyouya gestured for Haruhi to go ahead, "I would like the Tataki please."

"The Ikura-don please." Kyouya said.

The waiter nodded as he scribbled down their orders and walked off.

* * *

Over the next hour or so the conversation switched from Antoinette to stocks and everything in between.

But, soon they had all finished their meals and the night was close to being over.

"Check please." Tamaki and Kyouya said at the same time.

Tamaki glared at Kyouya with an expression that reminded Haruhi of a irritated puppy.

"Kyouyaa… I was going to pay."

He looked over at the pouting blonde, "You paid last time the two of us ate somewhere. It is my turn now."

"But Kyouyaaa! You're ruining my gentlemanly actions." He said with a huff.

"If you are going to go so far as putting your 'gentlemanly actions' in my face then why don't we just split the check?" He said calmly.

Tamaki blinked, "Oh. I guess we could do that."

Their waiter, who Haruhi assumed was very observant, walked up to them immediately with the split check.

As Kyouya slipped his credit card in and handed the check back to the waiter a small pang of guilt went through her.

_I can't believe I am letting him pay for this.._

_But, it's not as if I have the money to afford my meal._

_Who pays seventy dollars for a single meal?_

_Although… It was one of the best things I have ever eaten.._

The waiter had returned to the table with his credit card and Kyouya took it from him before standing up and lightly pulling on Haruhi's arm.

She stood up, pushing her chair in as Tamaki said, "Thank you two for joining us!"

"It was fun." Haruhi said with a light smile.

"Indeed it was, thank you." Kyouya said, the beginnings of a smile forming on his face.

"Alright then, bye! See you guys tomorrow!" Called out Tamaki as they began to walk away.

"See you!" She said with a slight wave of her hand.

They stepped into the elevator and Haruhi hit the Floor One button quickly.

As the doors closed she found herself leaning against the back wall of the elevator with a sigh.

"Tired?" Kyouya asked, his hand lightly brushing away a strand of hair from her face.

"Yes." She replied with a sigh.

"I suppose you have the right to be," He began as the elevator doors opened, "It is eleven at night."

She blinked as they walked out into the main floor of the opera house, "What? It's eleven already?"

She rubbed her eyes, "How did the time go by so quickly?"

He held open the door for her and stepped outside before slipping into the waiting limousine.

As he got in she vaguely noticed his closeness and the way his hand slid effortlessly into hers.

As the car glided down the road she fought to stay awake.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" He asked, looking at her.

Haruhi blinked off sleep as she answered him, "Truthfully I thought the plot of the opera show was absolutely idiotic. Two people fell in love and then one died, that was basically it. I don't see why it's such a big deal, but I guess these romance plotlines have never really made sense to me. I have to say that I did enjoy the orchestra, I thought their playing was beautiful. And dinner turned out to be alright for being pushed into eating with Tamaki-sempai and Ayume-san."

"I would have to agree with you on that point. To tell you the truth I believe both of us would have enjoyed dinner much more by ourselves. But, I suppose we all have to make due sometimes, wont we?"

"I guess so." She replied.

The car rolled to a stop and Kyouya peered out of the window, "We're here."

She rubbed her hand against her head, "Oh, we are."

He opened the door and grabbed her school bag off of the floor, taking her hand as she got out.

And there they stood, hand in hand in front of Haruhi's apartment complex.

Kyouya leaned down, his lips pressed lightly to hers and his hand skimmed around her waist.

As she felt he was going to pull away Haruhi pushed herself closer to him and deepened the kiss for just a moment longer.

"Goodnight Haruhi." He whispered into her ear.

"Goodnight Kyouya." She said in return, a smile upon her face before she turned away and began to climb the stairs to her apartment the faint whisper of goodbye still playing around in her head.

* * *

**Ah, another chapter is done.  
And I have another contest for you!**

**Where would you like the Host Club to go on vacation?**

**Yup, it's almost summer time in the land of Everything to Gain and there is going to be a vacation involved for the entire Host Club, but not the customers… Sorry.  
I want your ideas on where they should go! It's probably going to be a weeklong trip and it could be anywhere.  
Somewhere out of the country, most likely seeing as none of them could ever dream of vacationing inside the country for some strange rich person reason…  
Just send me some ideas in a review, I'll pick the best one and use their idea for it!  
Well, as I always say "Review, review, review!"  
And I guess I'll see you all Sunday!**

**~Blue**


	28. Chapter 28

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 28: Nearly Summer

**Be warned.. This is a long chapter.  
Heh, I'm excited.  
I finally got this one done..  
I was attacked by a large bug while writing this and it scared me half to death.  
And on top of that I got a new computer, which doesn't have Word installed on it yet, so I was freaking out without my grammar and spelling checker.  
But, I think I made it all work out well.  
If you do see anything wrong with this chapter, mistakes, then tell me and I'll fix it as soon as I can.  
Thanks!  
Oh, and there is a contest at the end of the chapter, so make sure to read it.**

* * *

Haruhi straightened the jacket of her uniform one last time.

_I guess that looks fine.._

She pulled her door open, striding into the hallway only to run headfirst into her father.

"Oh, sorry Dad." She said, dodging him and heading straight towards the kitchen.

She could hear his faint footsteps approach her as she dug in the pantry for some eggs.

She poured chicken broth into a pot and as it came to a boil she cracked the eggs into it.

Soon the eggs had cooked, she stirred the pot making sure it was consistent all the way through.

"Here, I made some egg drop soup." She said, as she poured it into a bowl and handed it to her father.

After pouring herself some she sat down at the table next to him.

He looked up at her with a faint grin, "So, how was last night?"

Haruhi blinked, "Fine, why are you asking?"

"Oh," The smile on his face grew just a bit wider, "No reason.."

"Ah." She said in reply.

Just as she took another spoonful of egg drop soup he looked back up at her, "So, what did you do exactly?"

"Well, we went to an opera with some clients of the Ootori's and afterwards Kyouya and I went to dinner."

She noticed the grin on her father's face grew again as she said Kyouya's name.

"What is it?"

"Hmm?" He said, trying to look completely innocent.

"Is there something I need to know?" She narrowed her eyes slightly.

_Who knows what he has up his sleeve?_

_He's doing a pretty good job hiding whatever it is from me; normally he can't keep a straight face in these types of situations._

"Nothing really.." He stood up, picking up their bowls and bringing them to the sink.

"You already know it.. Although it saddens me that you haven't told me yet.." Haruhi could practically hear her father pout as he spoke.

"I have no idea what you are talking about.." She stood up, walking over to her bag and looking through it to make sure she had everything.

"Oh Haruhi darling!" Her father flung himself on her, an expression of woe and despair on his face, "How could you keep such a wonderful secret from your own father!"

_And there he breaks.._

"What secret are you talking about?" She lightly pushed him upright.

He wiped the tears out of his eyes and launched into action as he spoke, "You see, I was up late last night waiting for you to return and I was doing-uh.. Some very important, manly night things.. Yes. So these tasks carried on until late at night and I take a break from my momentous efforts to rest while gazing out our window. I was surprised to see a large black limousine sitting outside of our humble apartments, but then I realized that it had to have been one of your friends from Ouran so I watched it carefully encase that perverted boy was trying an attempt at stalking. But, imagine my reaction when I see none other than that darling Kyouya Ootori locked in a passionate embrace with my lovely Haruhi!"

She froze, her eyes growing wide as she realized what her father was detailing.

Slowly her eyes moved to the side to look at him just as he jumped into the air and squealed with joy.

"It was the most adorable, beautiful scene I think I have seen in my entire life!" He said with a twirl.

She took a step back in a mix between horror and relief as her father fangirled.

"Oh I would have paid money to see that again! What could be better than-"

Haruhi effectively tuned her Father out as she grabbed her bag from the chair and ever so slowly sneaked out of the house.

She quickly hopped down the stairs hoping that her doting parent wouldn't be following close behind.

_H-He saw that... _

She shivered.

As she neared the street she noticed the black limo she had become strangely accustomed to wasn't there.

_Oh God, I'm going to turn into a rich bastard aren't I…_

She dug her hand into her bag and pulled out her cell phone, looking at the time.

_Only 6:45.. The bus won't be here for another twenty minutes and neither will Kyouya… Great._

She looked down the road leading towards Ouran Academy.

_I suppose I could just walk.._

_I mean, it doesn't look like it would be that far, would it?_

_I could probably make it._

_And even if I don't, I know Tamaki-sempai will probably send out a rescue team as soon as I am not there… _

_So I have even more motivation to not collapse.._

With a small chuckle Haruhi set off towards Ouran.

_I wonder how everyone is going to be today._

_Hopefully not too outrageous._

_But, seeing as tomorrow is summer break I'm sure they have something planned._

_Ugh, I can only imagine what._

_Luckily it won't involve any frilly swimsuits this time... _

_Or hopefully no frilly things at all, but, sadly that's sometimes too much to hope for when it comes to these morons._

By now she had ventured out of the commercial area that her apartment complex and some small shopping areas were in.

She looked around, feeling slightly appreciative for the well kept park she was now walking through.

_At least the rich get somethings right._

Her shoes gave a hard pound every time they hit the hard cobblestone path she was now on.

Looking around Haruhi felt slightly encased by the high bushes on each side of her but she shook it off as she brushed her hand against the leaves, ripping off a few as she walked.

_I guess all of this means that I have entered the neighborhood of rich._

_Not that that is technically a bad thing compared to some of the other neighborhoods around here._

Haruhi felt hot rays of sunshine beat down on her as she walked out of the shady cover or trees.

_And now I remember why I hate summer._

She peeled off her blazer, folding it neatly before putting it into her bag.

_How long does this walk even take?_

She sighed lightly.

_I guess I should have figured that out before I set out on it._

_Ah well, I'll get there soon enough._

In the back of her mind she registered the faint squeak that sounded like a misplaced step but she disregarded the fact.

_At least I hope I get there soon.._

_I really don't want to be out here any longer than I have too.._

"Is there some kind of fascination among commoners that compels them to do everything in the most troublesome manner possible?"

Haruhi recognized the voice that came randomly from her left and she took a step away in shock, "Kyouya? What are you doing here?"

A light smile graced his features, "Simply following you of course. I have found that my rides to school are much less satisfying by myself."

She blinked, "And how did you know I was here in the first place?"

He continued walking, "Well, I was on the way to pick you up when I saw you on the side of the road entering this path through the park. Speaking of which, is there any reason you are taking this detour? You could easily get to the school on foot by taking the smaller path."

She turned quickly from side to side, "What smaller path? There isn't one. I just assumed this was the right way, seeing as it was the only way."

"It's this way." He said, pulling aside some of the shrubbery for them to get through.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at the unorthodox way of getting to the 'smaller path'.

"Don't give me such a look, come along." Kyouya said as he ducked through the hole he had made, still holding it open for Haruhi, who followed him.

Tree cover once again shrouded them as they walked in the grassy field outside of the hedges.

The crunching of small leaves underfoot was faint as they walked in silence.

"How far away are we from this path?" Her eyes scanned the area for any indication of it, she still found none.

"Oh, the path? I suppose you could say we are on it. At least this way leads to Ouran Academy. The way you were going before would have led you to the center of the park."

"Why are you walking in the first place Haruhi?" He said as he took off his blazer, folding it over his arm as he walked.

_At least I'm not the only one that's burning hot out here._

"I guess I just wanted to walk."

He turned towards her as they walked, "And why would you want to walk out in the burning hot sun for a long time when you could simply ride in an air conditioned car for even less time?"

With a shrug Haruhi replied, "Well, It looked nice outside to me. That's enough reason I suppose."

She sighed squinting into the tree filled distance, "How far away are we from the school anyways?"

Kyouya ran a hand through his hair, "We're roughly about fifteen minutes away if we continue walking."

A strange smile seemed to have wormed its way onto his face.

She noticed, "What is it?"

"Oh nothing, just the fact that Tamaki had asked us all to be at the Host Club twenty minutes before class. I have no idea why though. But, it is probably something of importance to him, It'll be slightly comical to see his face when we are not there."

"What do you mean when we aren't there? What time is it?"

He looked at his watch, "Well, seeing as we are fifteen minutes away because you seem to be hell bent on walking and Tamaki's little meeting starts in 7 minutes I think he will be throwing a fit in about, eh, lets say five minutes."

Haruhi blinked, looking up at Kyouya with a sigh, "And how long would it take us to get there by car?"

A smirk lit up on his face, "Ah, well only four and a half minutes if we left now."

She sighed again, looking down before looking back at him.

_I really don't want to have to deal with Tamaki's incessant worrying._

_Especially what we will get if we arrive late, together._

She stopped walking,"Is there really no other way to get there on time?"

"Nope." He said, turning around towards her with a smug look.

"Fine. You win this time, where's the car?"

"I'm glad you see my point," He walked to their left, pushing through a wall of skinny trees, "Right here."

And of course, waiting for them their was Kyouya's limousine that she had become all too used to.

Reluctantly she slid inside, Kyouya right behind her and the car started up, heading towards Ouran Academy.

* * *

Haruhi pulled open the door to Music Room #3 only to be glomped by two red headed figures.

"Haruhi!" Two identical voices called out as she was pinned in between them.

"Uhm, hi guys.." She forced out as the air was slowly drained from her.

"Uhm, can you let me-" She barely got the words out.

"I believe Haruhi and the rest of us would all appreciate it if you two let her go and joined us for whatever meeting we are supposed to be having." She could hear the icy tone in Kyouya's voice and Hikaru and Kaoru immediately let go of her and slunk back into their spots at the table.

_Wait a second.._

She did a double take, staring at the massive table that was sitting in the center of the room.

"Since when did this get here?" She asked with her eyebrows raised.

Tamaki stood up at the far head of the table and twirled around, "Isn't it just great! I got it for our meetings! So we finally have a proper place to hold discussions!"

"And why would we need it? Can't we just talk while sitting on the couches we normally have in here, like we've been doing all year?"

"No, we cannot! The idea simply promotes a lack of appreciation for the great business we have here an-"

"We get it Tono.." Hikaru said from across the table.

Tamaki sat down as he slowly deflated.

Still annoyed by the capriciousness of his idea she sat down at the opposite end of the table as Tamaki, which just happened to place her near Kyouya, who was the other head of the table.

"So what exactly did you bring us here for Tamaki?" Asked Kyouya as he wrote something down in his notebook.

"Oh yes! That's what I was going to say!" Began the blonde, "Alright men, and Haruhi, what we are going to be doing today is something very special! Today is the last day before summer break and it is quite a possibility that we will have a large amount of crying ladies as we part ways for the days of summer. So we are going to have to make them feel extremely happy today!"

Haruhi let out what sounded like a mix between a groan and a sigh.

"By.." He continued, "Throwing a pool party!"

There was silence.

"What, don't you guys think that is a great idea?" Tamaki looked around the room, "I already sent out flyers all around the school..."

Hikaru leaned back in his chair, "There's nothing really wrong with it except th-"

"What could be wrong with my plan? The lovely ladies out enjoying the sun with us accompanying them! What could be more perfect for our summer goodbye?"

Honey leaned forward, "What is Haru-chan supposed to do?"

Tamaki blinked, not understanding, "What do you mean?"

"We are all going to be swimming Tamaki. That involves wearing a bathing suit. Haruhi is a girl so..." Kyouya trailed off, leaving the rest for Tamaki to put together.

Tamaki froze, "Uh, well.. I-Uh.. Maybe we could invent flying machine tha-"

"I can just sit out like I did at the beach house. It's no problem." She interrupted the 'King' before he could finish, slightly afraid of whatever invention he was imagining.

_As long as I'm not forced into another one of their costumes I'll be fine._

There were various nods around the table at her idea before they all trailed off into another subject.

* * *

Haruhi resisted the urge to cover her ears when another chorus of squeals came from the fangirls.

The school day had ended and now there was only hosting left to do.

The Hosts had invited all of their clients to the rooftop pool for their final goodbye party and the ladies were overjoyed.

_I swear there is some type of echo up here that make all of their screams much louder._

She was seated at a small table alongside the pool for her and her guests, none of them had arrived yet.

So, she watched absentmindedly as the other Host Club members entertained their own guests.

Tamaki was surrounded by a growing group of girls who seemed to be doing the majority of the squealing as he lamented about his swimming expeditions in Rome.

_Ugh...Rich bastard.. _

Hikaru and Kaoru seemed to be entertaining their guests by showing them a dual swim routine that their 'Grandmother had apparently taught them'..

A sigh trailed out of Haruhi's mouth at the obvious lie.

_Sometimes I doubt the sanity of all of these girls.. How can they even believe this crap?_

She instinctively stiffened as water splashed in her hair due to Honey jumping into the pool right next to her with an adorable smile on his face as he called out, "Sorry Haru-chan!"

"It's fine." She smiled back at him just as Mori knelt down next to him.

"Mitsukuni.. You must be more careful, you could have hit someone in the pool jumping in like that."

Honey's eyes began to water, "I-I'm sorry Takashi! Wahh!"

He pulled his cousin into a hug as a collective, 'Awwww', came from their group of clients.

Haruhi closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, trying to relax.

The sun beat down on her and she took a deep breath in and then let it out slowly.

"Haruhi," An all too familiar voice called, "You can't sleep on the job. You have customers waiting."

She snapped her eyes open as Kyouya gestured for her guests to sit down.

She gave him a light smile before turning towards her guests, who's eyes flashed from her to the pool and back.

"I'm really sorry ladies because I know that swimming must have been what all of you looked forward too. But, I'm not feeling that well today, so I can't really swim. Is it okay for us to stay here?" She smiled at the four girls in front of her as they nodded.

"Of course!"

"Y-You're not feeling good Haruhi-kun? Oh, can we help?"

"Oh no, you girls don't have to do anything, just having you around make me feel a bit better already."

Faint blushes appeared on each girls face.

* * *

She let out a sigh of relief as she walked back into Music Room #3 at the end of the day.

Going straight into the back room she grabbed her stack of clothes from the cabinet and headed into the changing room.

But, as she was taking off her polo shirt and swim trunks she had worn for the party she realized that her pile of clothes was much different than the ones she remembered bringing.

Haruhi blinked as she stared at the light purple top and shorts she now held.

They were definitely not the old t-shirt and jeans she had remembered packing for today.

Seeing as she had nothing else to wear and someone obviously wanted her to wear this she reluctantly slipped the clothes on and noticed immediately the rich material they were made of.

_Hikaru and Kaoru strike again... Ugh._

As she walked out of the changing room she noticed the two identical heads that peered at her from the doorway.

"So Haruhi," They said in unison, "Do you like our gift?"

Looking down at her clothes she said, "I don't know if I'll ever wear it again, and I really do want my old clothes back please."

"No way." They said again, disappearing into the deep recesses of the back room.

"Hey, come back here! I need those clothes!" She followed them and found herself in the Cosplay section of the room.

It was piled high with huge boxes of previous cosplays that Tamaki had always said he was going to use but never did.

After trying to find the two for about five minutes she groaned.

_Ugh, I give up._

She turned around, not wanting to be engaged in hide and go seek with the Hitachiin twins any longer.

But, she found her way out of the maze of boxes blocked by a large pile of suitcases.

_What the h-..._

_What did we use these for?_

They looked relatively new to her.

_I don't even know.. Sometimes the amount of stuff they have back here surprises me.._

She turned around again and luckily found her way out of the walls of boxes.

As she stepped out into the main room she noticed that Tamaki quickly snapped his cell phone shut and stuffed it into his pocket.

She raised an eyebrow at him as she walked by.

Kyouya was typing away at his computer and his eyes watched her carefully as she drew closer to him, as if he were trying to give away the fact that he was hiding something.

"Ah!" Tamaki said as he plopped down on a couch with his hands behind his head, "The wonderful season of summer is here."

"Indeed it is." Kyouya commented, his eyes still watching her.

Hikaru and Kaoru leaned over the couch that Tamaki was sitting on, "So, anyone have any plans for summer?"

They looked up at Haruhi, "What about you?"

"No. Mitsuzu has Mei helping him out this summer, so I think I'll just be relaxing for a while."

The twins eyes lit up in a way that could only mean something horrible was coming, "Oh, is that so?"

They disappeared into the back room again.

Honey and Mori walked out of the back room and towards the door.

Honey turned around, "Alright, we've gotta go. We'll see you all on the p-"

Mori quickly clamped his hand over his cousin's mouth and ran with him out the door.

Tamaki gave a forced sounding laugh, "Oh that Honey-sempai.. I have to go as well, so I will see you all... sometime!"

Haruhi gave him a confused look as he turned head on heels and walked out.

_Either something they have finally all gone crazy or I'm missing something here._

She heard a small click come from behind her and turned around to see Kyouya packing up his laptop.

He started towards the door and she began to follow instinctively before he held up a hand, "Stay here for a moment please Haruhi. My Father is calling me, it seems like I am going to have to take this."

He snapped open his cell phone before walking out of the door.

"Oh, that's fine."

She turned back and took a few steps until she was in the middle of the room.

She stood there almost awkwardly with her back to the door until she heard the faintest squeak of a shoe on hard wooden floors

_Is Kyouya done already?_

Just as she was about to turn around two pair of arms grabbed her and lifted her into the air, a hand over her eyes as they ran, carrying her out of the music room.

Her heart beat wildly.

_What the hell is going on?_

She tried to twist out of their grip but only succeeded in bumping herself against their arms as they carried her down the stairs.

A burst of hot summer air hit her as they brought her outside and she heard the pop of a car door open as she was thrown in.

With a bump and a muffled scream she roughly landed on top of someone and the hand over her eyes disappeared as the door closed and the car took off.

She snapped her eyes open and found herself looking straight at none other than Kyouya Ootori.

Her face turned a light shade of pink at the realization that she was laying on top of him.

"Kyouya? What is going on?" She asked, she tried to get up but a tight grip on her wrist held her in place.

"Well, If i told you than that would ruin all of the fun, wouldn't it?" He looked up at her, his glasses were missing.

She looked towards the window in an attempt to see where they were going.

She felt Kyouya's arm pull her head away from the window and back towards him, "Just let it be a surprise. Don't look."

That, of course, made her want to look even more, she strained her head upward, trying to get a glimpse of the outside world.

"You make things so much harder Haruhi." Kyouya said before pulling roughly on her left arm so that she began to topple over, giving him just the right amount of leverage to pull himself on top of her.

Haruhi felt her heart rate increase as she realized that this was practically the same position they were in at the beach house.

"If you really want to know so badly you will have to promise to not escape when I tell you." His hands pushed her wrists into the soft leather of the limousine and she sighed.

"I don't think I could even escape if I wanted to now." She muttered.

"Haruhi.."

"Fine, fine, I wont try and escape. Now where are we going?"

He leaned in close to her ear, his body pressed against hers making the car seem like it had risen in temperature about ten degrees.

"Well Haruhi, we're going on a vacation."

* * *

**Ah, such a wonderfully long chapter.  
It makes me proud.  
This is the last chance for everyone to vote on:**

**Where do you want the Host Club to vacation too?**

**The rules are the same that I specified in the last chapter, somewhere expensive and out of the country that the Host Club would choose because of their absolute richness.  
I have gotten some pretty great responses so far and I think I might already have a winner.  
But, your vote could change that all.  
Just send me your place in a review by clicking that lovely button below.  
The winner gets their idea used for a few chapters.  
I'm excited to see what else you guys come up with.  
You always impress me.  
Well, I'll see you all soon!**

******~Blue**  



	29. Chapter 29

Everything to Gain:  
Chapter 29: Oh Where am I Flying to?

**Hello!**  
**It's Blue here with Chapter 29!**  
**I have to give a big congratulations and thanks to the wonderful PrussiaSVKD who was the winner of my, 'Pick a Vacation challenge'!**  
**I don't want to give anything away yet, but your review gave me quite a good idea for the next few chapters. Heehee.**  
**I'm sorry I couldn't pick all of your ideas.. They were all so good.. **  
**But there can only be one winner I suppose.**  
**And I still don't have any Word **Processor**, so this was all written on Window's SkyDrive and could have a few grammatical errors.  
If it does, just point it out to me in a review so I don't go OCD about it here.  
****I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, it's very nice and long. Here we go!**

* * *

Haruhi could feel Kyouya's light breath on her skin as he spoke.

She blinked, not understanding what he had just said..

"What?" She asked, hoping with all of her heart that she had heard wrong.

"I said exactly what you heard," Kyouya began, pulling himself upright into a sitting position and pulling her up with him."That we are going on a vacation."

She leaned forward in her seat, trying to look out the window as she asked, "And where exactly are we going?"

"Don't bother trying to look out of the windows; you won't be able to see out."

She realized what he was saying as she brought her face closer to them, they were tinted inside and out so that there was no way she could see unless she pressed her face against the glass.

"You know, you never answered my question." She stated, leaning back in her seat reluctantly.

"And what was your question?" Kyouya's phone buzzed and he glanced at it clicking various buttons as he talked.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh," He said with a smirk as he glanced up at her, "I'm not allowed to tell you that."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes, "And why is that?"

"Well, I was instructed by Tamaki and the twins to allow you to 'cool down' as they said and make it so that you do not run away the moment we get out of this limousine."

_That wouldn't be that bad of an idea._

Kyouya looked at her warily, "Haruhi.."

_Oh God is he reading my mind again?_

"Fine, I won't try and run or anything like that. But how can I just randomly pack up and leave for a vacation when my D-"

"Oh, don't worry. We've already contacted your father about the matter and he has agreed. I also believe that the twins have packed a bag for you."

She swallowed, "Really?"

A smirk played on Kyouya's lips as he looked down at her worried state, "Of course. It was either that or your father packing for you and we all voted on it with Hikaru and Kaoru coming out as the winners."

"The sad thing is I don't know which one would be better, the twins or my Dad.." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Nothing.." She leaned back in her seat, "So you can't even give me a hint on where we're going?"

_And it is now that I wish I was more persuasive.._

"No," Kyouya replied with a grin on his face, she was sure that somehow he was enjoying this, "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough. The twins won't be able to keep their mouths shut on such a long plane ride."

Haruhi felt herself visibly pale.

_Did he just say p-_

"Haruhi, what is it?" He asked, looking at her curiously over the top of his glasses.

"Uh, it's nothing. Trust me."

"You realize how horrible you are at lying, don't you?" He leaned back against his seat.

She sighed, rubbing a hand against the side of her head, "I know.. Its's just that I've just never ridden in a plane before, so I don't exactly know what to expect."

She felt the car begin to slow down as Kyouya grabbed two bags from across the limousine and handed one to her, "I'm sure you'll be fine. It's not strange in the least bit; frankly it's quite boring once you get over the novelty of it."

She looked at the medium sized case he had thrust into her hands and then back up to him, "What is t-"

"It's that laptop I gave you for your birthday. I had it picked up from your house so that you could use it during the flight." He grabbed his own trademark leather case as the car slowed to a halt.

"How long is the flight going to be?" Haruhi asked, curious.

He opened the door stepping out and extending a hand for her to take, which she did.

"Oh about 10 hours give or take a bit."

She sighed as she pulled herself out of the limousine and into the warm air of a summer night.

As the door to the limousine closed, she looked realized she was standing on a long expanse of tarmac and in front of her was the biggest plane she had ever seen.

"I suppose that would be the one we are riding on..." She said, looking up at it.

"Why of course." Kyouya replied pulling her forward to a long set of stairs that led up into the plane.

"Great..." She muttered taking the first step.

A few light raindrops hit the back of her neck and she stopped walking, looking up at the sky which was now a dark grey color.

Kyouya lightly bumped into her back as a result of her sudden stop, "And how did the weather change so fast?" He said under his breath.

Haruhi tried to shrug lightly but it came out slightly more frantic than she would have hoped, "I don't know. Let's just get inside the plane.

She continued climbing the stairs as the raindrops began to fall down ever so harder.

By the time they had reached the plane her top half was dotted with little black spots from the water.

As she crossed into the cabin she felt herself being quickly pulled forward by two pairs of hands, "Haruhi!"

They yanked her into what she had to assume was the main cabin in the plane.

It contained three couches, a dining table, a large flat screen TV as well as multiple plush chairs seated around a circular coffee table all of which was held in a space that was most likely bigger than her apartment.

_Damn rich bastards.. _

She felt the twins hands release her as they exclaimed, "Tah-dah!" and gestured around the room.

Ignoring their antics she placed her laptop onto a small coffee table to her right and found herself jumping in reaction to a loud screeching noise coming from the where she had entered as the stairs were retracted and the door slid shut.

She felt the twins loop their arms around her back and pull her towards them.

"Are you excited Haruhi?" Kaoru leaned into her and was followed by Hikaru who said, "Excited for the best vacation you'll ever have?"

"Not really." She said truthfully, "Do you think you can tell me where exactly we're going?"

"No way.." Hikaru said teasingly, "It's a secret that will only be revealed when we get there."

Kaoru's arm looped around her as he leaned into her ear whispering, "But I can tell you it's out of the country."

Haruhi shook his arm off of her, "You guys know I don't have a passport right?"

"Actually, you do." Kyouya stepped in front of her, holding a small crimson booklet that could only be a Japanese Passport, "I contacted your father and apparently your mother had one made for you a long time ago. After some updating and the addition of a current photo you are completely in the clear to travel."

She let a weak groan out of her mouth as she was met with three smirks.

Once again, the twins locked their arms with hers and dragged her off, seeming hell bent on giving her the full tour of the jet.

They pulled her past a silver swinging door and Hikaru pointed as they walked by, "That's the kitchen; we have a full staff of chef's that'll make you anything you like if you get hungry."

She blankly nodded before being pulled farther down the hallway.

_I wonder if they have ootoro.._

_That would be great wouldn't it.. Fresh ootoro, as much as I could eat._

_Mmm, that would be delicious. _

_I doubt they'd have any on a plane though._

_Maybe wherever we're going will have it._

_I can h-_

Kaoru pulled at her arm trying to get her attention while he gestured to the four doors in front of him, "These are four small bedrooms that we have in case anyone needs to sleep or just lay down during the long flight."

"Mmhm." She responded vaguely, glancing over at the rooms.

_Wait, they have bedrooms, on a plane?_

_Is that even necessary? _

_The flight can't be that long that you need to take a deep sleep on a bed, right?_

She shook her head back and forth slightly.

_Damn rich bastards..._

"There are bathrooms in each bedroom as well as over here," He pointed just a bit down the hallway, "If you need you-"

Hikaru stopped talking and looked back down at her jabbing his finger at the side of her stomach, "Are you even listening?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, "It's kind of hard to listen considering that I am being dragged around by my arms inside a moving plane!"

They let go of her arms and she dropped to the floor with light bump before quickly standing up, brushing her hands along the front of her shorts.

The twins looked back at her, the picture of perfect symmetry, "As we were saying.."

Hikaru pointed back toward the large room in which they had already walked through, "That's the main room here. It's got a television, multiple lounging areas and the dining room."

Kaoru pointed towards the one other room at the very end of the hall, "That's where we put a few of our bags so that we could change clothes before we got off of the plane so we can get right to s-"

The end of his sentence was quickly muffled by his brother's hand,.

"Oh, uh sorry..." He said, looking back at Haruhi before removing his brother's hand from his face.

"Alright, well we are going to go mess with Tono, so have fun." Hikaru said before grabbing his brother's hand and pulling him into one of the rooms.

As Haruhi was walking back to the main room in the plane she heard a girlish shriek come from the room the twins had just entered and she chuckled imagining what must have happened to elicit such a noise from Tamaki.

In the main room she found Kyouya sitting at one of the smaller tables, tapping away at his laptop.

She peered out of the window to her left drawing in a slow breath when she saw how high they had already risen in the air.

_I don't even remember taking off.._

She could see the rain whizzing by them as they flew through the dark storm clouds.

_Let's hope this is the worst it gets.._

_Or at least that this plane is soundproof.._

Her eyes scanned the room.

_What should I do?_

_If only one of these idiots had told me we were leaving instead of just hijacking me I could have brought something to entertain myself._

As she looked around she spotted a familiar object lying next to the door.

_My book bag?_

_I guess one of them must have grabbed it from where I dropped it in the Host Club._

_Well I guess dropped it wouldn't be the right word.. More like it was left behind when I was forcibly thrown into a car against my will._

She walked over to the bag and looked through it, checking for something.

_It's actually here?_

Haruhi pulled out a thick book she had picked up last week at the library.

Truthfully, she had forgotten all about it until now, but she was glad to have it.

She plopped down on the plush couch and turned to her bookmarked page, quickly loosing herself in the novel.

* * *

Kyouya looked over at Haruhi.

She had been comfortably reading for about two hours now but only recently she had dozed off into sleep.

He looked at her sleeping form over the top of his laptop with interest.

Although it was strange, he had to admit he enjoyed watching her.

She looked comfortable, to say the least, her head was lightly laid back against the pillow and her arms were folded across the open book lying on her stomach.

He looked back at his spreadsheet on Excel, which showed the recent growths of the Shikamore company and then back at Haruhi.

Shutting his laptop with a click he stood up, walking towards one of the small window to his left while stretching his arms over his head.

Peering out the window he saw the ocean far below them looking almost like dark land in the fading light of day.

Kyouya made his way over to where Haruhi was laying, peering at the sleeping girl once again his interest seemed to grow.

_I wonder what she was reading.._

Slowly, he reached for the book underneath her arms and pulled it towards him, trying his hardest not to wake her.

Luckily, it seemed Haruhi was a rather heavy sleeper when it came to these type of situations because she didn't make a sound as the book slid into his hands effortlessly.

Making sure to bookmark the page she was on he turned the book to the front cover.

_The Golden Spiral by P.O. Cole. _

_Hm, an American author, interesting._

He flipped to the last page in the book with a smile.

_And it's 1,287 pages long, very impressive._

His glance went from the book in his hands and back to the sleeping Haruhi.

_I suppose I should t-_

Kyouya was snapped out of his own thoughts when a door was thrown open and a screaming Tamaki ran out into the hallway.

His arms were pinned behind his back with duck tape and he had an expression of pure terror on his face as he ran into the main room screaming, "HELP KYOUYAAAA! THOSE LITTLE DEVILS ARE AFTER MY SOULL! MY SOUL KYOUYA! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME!"

He took a few steps back as Tamaki ran screaming by him and fell on the floor with an expression of woe, "PLEASE KYOUYA HELP ME DEFEAT THEM AND THEIR EVI-"

"Please shut up Tamaki." He watched as Tamaki paled at the sound of his obviously irritated voice.

His blonde friend blinked tears out of his eyes as Kyouya pointed towards the somehow still sleeping Haruhi on the couch.

Tamaki picked himself up off of the floor and gestured to his duct taped hands while looking nervously over his back shoulder.

He walked over unwrapping the duct tape easily from his friend's hands and threw it away with a sigh.

The grin coming from the now free man next to him was huge as he charged back into the bedroom he had previously came yelling a slightly softer cry of, "Cursed Twins, I am free and now you shall pay for your sins against my beauty!"

Kyouya could do nothing but stare with a slight grin on his face.

* * *

Haruhi woke up many hours later.

She pulled the covers up to her neck sleepily.

_This is really comfy._

_Who knew that couches could ever be this co-_

_Wait, there aren't covers on couches, are there?_

She snapped her eyes open, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings around her.

She was lying in a large comfortable bed with what looked like black silk sheets, it was definitely not the place she remembered falling asleep in.

_Where am I?_

_I was just on that plane reading my book a bit ago am I-_

She blinked as her eyes zeroed in on the familiar face of Kyouya Ootori silently typing away at his computer in the corner of the room.

Sitting up she was about to speak but Kyouya seemed to beat her to it, "Haruhi, you're finally awake."

"Yeah, I am. How did I get in here? The last thi-"

"Well, you had fallen asleep out in the main part of the cabin and after a while Tamaki and the twins ended up chasing each other through there screaming incoherent things.. Seeing as you somehow slept through that I figured you must have been seriously tired and in need of some rest, so I brought you in here. I hope you don't mind that I also took solace here, and have just been working while trying to ignore the odd sounds coming from the other side of that door."

"Oh," She replied standing up and smoothing down the bed covers, "How long was I asleep?"

He glanced at his wristwatch, "Roughly six hours. If you count the two hours you spent reading then I suppose it would be eight."

Haruhi blinked.

_Six hours?_

_How the hell did I sleep six hours on a plane?_

She ran a hand through her hair, "So that means we only have two hours left to go then?"

He typed something else on his computer before shutting the laptop with a faint click, "Approximately."

Standing up she watched Kyouya walk to the door before turning around to look back at her, "Now I suppose we should see what kind of damage they have done in our absence."

He pulled the door open, letting her walk through first, and she blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the bright lights in the main cabin.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki called as he tackled her in a bear hug and swung her around.

"Uh, Tamaki-sempai please let me go.." She pushed on his chest trying to free herself but he held on.

"I shall never let go of my darling daughter, not since she has been avoiding me the entire trip so far! I couldn't find you at all Haruhi! What's a father to do when his precious blossom has gone missing in a blink of an eye? There is nothing to do bu-"

She watched as Tamaki's face froze, looking more and more afraid as Kyouya who stood behind him spoke something, probably some sort of death threat, into his ear.

Quickly the he let her go, taking a few steps back for good measure as he plopped down on the couch with a shiver.

Haruhi turned towards Kyouya slightly, raising her eyebrows in a hidden question of 'What the hell did you say to him?'.

Somehow, he understood her and returned fire with only a small grin as he walked back to the chair he had occupied earlier, plugging his computer in and resuming whatever type of work he was doing.

She looked at the twins, who stood clustered together near one of the couches, whispering something to each other.

After taking a breath she walked up to them, almost as if it were natural, their arms slung over her shoulders and matching grins appeared on their faces.

"What is it Haruhi?" They asked in unison looking down at her.

"Seeing as we're landing in two hours and I haven't tried running away yet do you think you can tell me where you are taking me to?" She tried to keep the agitation out of her voice as she spoke.

They looked at each other questioningly, Hikaru raised his eyebrows with a twitch of his lips and Kaoru shrugged, looking back down at her.

They nodded, which Haruhi took as a good sign.

"We'll tell you," They said, lifting their arms off her and walking back behind the couch, "But on one condition."

"And what is that?" She asked, hoping whatever it was didn't require a frilly dress.

"We have one favor that we will ask of you before we land; you have to do whatever that favor is no matter what. That's the only way we'll talk." They leaned over the couch in perfect unison.

"No way. I'll just wait till we land."

Their faces dropped.

Haruhi felt a small pair of hands pull on her shoulder.

"Haru-chann~…" Honey said, looking up at her with doe eyes, "Please do what they're asking. It won't be that bad, I promise! You'll really like it! There are no dresses involved either.."

_Oh no, I'm getting caught in the cute eyes.._

He looked up at her with a sad face, "Please.. For me?"

_Well, what's the worst they can do on a plane?_

_It's not like there is going to be any public humiliation involved. _

_And Honey-sempai said there wouldn't be any dresses involved.._

_That's a pretty good deal I guess.._

_Oh God, let's hope they don't act like they normally do and actually have a normal favor to ask of me._

Looking up at the twins she said reluctantly, "Fine, I'll do it. Now where are we going?"

They beamed, their grins growing wider, she even saw Tamaki sit up from the corner of her eye.

The two of them ran down the hallway to the room where they said they kept the clothes and came back with a large box, "Oh, that's easy Haruhi we are already there if you look out the window."

_How are we already there?_

_Didn't Ky-_

"Well, we aren't exactly there, but we'll get there soon. There is just one more stage of our journey that we can't do in this plane."

Her eyes widened as they threw her a huge pile of clothes and a heavy black backpack, "What exactly do you mean?"

Looking down at the clothes that were now lying on the floor in front of her she gulped.

There were multiple thin long sleeve shirts, a thick parka, and a windbreaker with a hood that had an attachment to cover your face as well as a thick pair of waterproof pants.

_Oh God..._

_This is all cold weather clothes..._

"Guys.. Are you meaning to say that-"

Kaoru leaned closer to her, "Yes Haruhi, you see we're vacationing in Switzerland."

She blinked, not wanting to understand what he had just said.

Hikaru mirrored his brother, "And the surprise? Our home that we're staying at doesn't have a large airport anywhere nearby."

"So," He leaned in closer whispering in her ear, "We're skydiving to get there."

* * *

**Ahahaha  
So we get to see Haruhi of all people skydive..  
How very interesting, ne?  
I wonder how that'll turn out.  
Does anyone have request on things they should do in the wonderful country of Switzerland?  
To give you all a little hint they're staying in a private home in St. Moritz, Switzerland one of the prime locations for skiing and snowboarding.  
Ah, we'll just have to let the games begin, won't we?**

**~Blue **


	30. Chapter 30

Everything to Gain:  
Chapter 30: The Plunge

**So here we are again.  
At the start of another chapter.  
Heehee, this one is kind of strange.  
It's a normal chapter size but it doesn't cover that much.  
I had to cut it off because if I let it go any farther it would bleed into the next chapter.  
Ah, the next chapter is going to be fun to write it'll be full of f-  
Oh, sorry, getting ahead of myself here.  
And on a side note here.. Please review.. Please..  
Just enjoy the chapter, tell me if you see any mistakes because I still don't have any Microsoft Word!**

* * *

Haruhi's eyes grew wide as she looked at the two smiling reincarnations of the Devil standing in front of her.

She gulped, backing up slowly as they inched closer and closer to her, their words still hanging in the air.

_Sky diving?_

_Are they insane?_

"Are you guys serious?" She asked, her voice slightly wavering as they slung their arms around her stepping over the pile of clothing at her feet.

"Why we're very serious Haruhi.." Hikaru said looking at her with a grin.

Kaoru mirrored him, "We've never been more serious in our lives. What' s wrong with skydiving?"

"Other than the fact that it involves leaping out of a plane?" She could hear the incredulous tone seeping into her voice, "You actually expect me to do that?"

"Expect you to want to do it, no. But you are going to do it, seeing as you already promised us." She swore she could see flames of evil flickering in Hikaru's eyes.

"Yeah, that promise was that I would do you two a favor before we landed. This is not a favor, it's a death wish!" She tried to slip out of their arms but only succeeded in tripping on the large pile of clothes sitting in front of her.

Two hands caught her, pulling her back towards them as they spoke in unison, "But Haruhi, you promised us. You can't go back on a promise can you?"

"Yes I can and I will." Struggling to release herself from their grip she twisted her arms until they finally let her go.

"But Haruhi, the only other way we can get there is a six hours car drive and we would have to fly another two hours to get to the airport in the first place.. Why would you want to do that when you could just drop down and be at the house in twenty minutes?"

"Because it involves jumping out of a plane that is who knows how high above the ground. When it comes between that and the drive, I'd definitely take the car ride  
any day.." She folded her arms looking them in the eyes.

She watched as Hikaru looked at his brother and a small smile grew on both of their faces as they grabbed Haruhi, shoving her into the nearest bathroom and throwing her clothes in with her, "Well too bad. Now change into these clothes for us or else we won't let you out."

Looking at the pile of clothes now spread out all over the bathroom floor she let out a groan.

_Will they really not let me out?_

_Well, I'll just put on the clothes, it's not like wearing them makes me have to come with them._

_I'll definitely be taking that car ride if it's the only way._

She pulled her own clothes off and started putting on the various layers of winter gear around her.

_So they said we were going to St. Moritz in Switzerland?_

_What do I even know about that place?_

_It's part of the Swiss Alps right?_

_Well, looking at these clothes we're going skiing and knowing them there's probably going to be some extra 'surprise' in there._

_Why the hell would someone want to go to a place where it's snowing during summer?_

_I thought the whole point of summer was to be out of school while the weather is that perfect mix between hot and cold._

_I can't believe my Dad actually agreed to this.._

_I can't believe I didn't run when I could... _

_Well, I just hope they don't push me down the mountain and expect me to ski.._

_Maybe I can just find a way to stay inside the entire time, I suppose that wouldn't be that bad, would it?_

_First I just have to find a way to get out of skydiving..._

_Why the hell would someone want to willingly jump out of a plane with a parachute strapped to their back?_

_Damn rich bastards.._

Haruhi pulled on the large parka, the last item sitting on the floor and zipped it up glancing at herself in the mirror.

The dark purple color of the parka was set off by the black fur on the edge of her hood which combined made her skin seem oddly pale.

_I suppose this is what the twins call, 'the latest fashion'._

She pulled open the door of the bathroom to find the Hitachiin twins thankfully missing.

Sitting down on the couches were Honey, Mori and Kyouya.

The three of them seemed to have already changed as they were lounged about in their ski clothes.

Honey looked up at her, "Aww, you look so cute Haru-chan!"

He beamed at her, motioning for Mori and Kyouya to look over at her.

Mori responded with an agreeing "Mmn."

Kyouya' s eyes glanced over her, "You do look nice Haruhi. I must admit that the twins do their job quite well."

Taken slightly aback by the compliment she gave a light smile her cheeks feeling slightly hotter than normal, "Thanks."

As she moved to sit down next to him Honey turned towards her, "Aren't these coats super fuzzy Haru-chan? They're so fluffy!".

He smiled at her while rubbing the fur on the inside of his hood happily.

She nodded in response as Honey poked at Mori's dark blue jacket, as if he were inspecting the fur on it.

Haruhi watched lazily as Kyouya typed away on his laptop, only stopping to pull up the sleeves of his black coat as they got in the way.

_ I guess he isn't worried about jumping out of a plane.._

_How is that even possible?_

Two of the doors down the hallway burst open at the same time and a loud chatter filled the room as the twins and Tamaki stepped out.

Tamaki popped in front of her almost instantaneously.

"Haruhi!" He wiggled back and forth with a smile,"You look so adorable!"

The twins took a step next to him squinting their eyes as they inspected her, "I think we did our work well, as always."

Hikaru stepped forward, "Now all we have to do is put on the packs with the parac-"

"There's still no way you can make me go" She stated.

"No, you're going. Sorry, you don't have a say in this Haruhi." The two of them reached for her arms.

She pulled back leaning away from them, "I don't _have _ to do I? I mean, there has got to be another way down to wherever we are staying, can't I ju-"

A smooth hand pulled her off the couch and twirled her around the room.

"Haruhi!" Tamaki commanded, "You simply must go! I insist! We all know that your common upbringings have given you a blind eye in the world of luxurious activities like this but you simply must try it!"

The over eccentric blonde dropped to his knees, "Please my darling Haruhi, I'm begging you here! If you try this the whole world will applaud at your feet! Please, please, please, please Haruhi!"

_There's no way._

_No way I can do that.._

_No matter what Tamaki-sempai or the twins say.. _

_Jumping out of a plane?_

_Idiots.._

_I mean, I guess it's interesting sounding in thought but much to dangerous and way too much of a hassle._

Haruhi stood in front of the pleading Tamaki giving him a brief stare before walking back to the couch she had previously occupied.

Kyouya packed up his laptop, slipping it into his case before standing up to put it away.

He looked over his shoulder, "Although the world won't 'applaud at your feet' as Tamaki says I suppose it is a worthwhile experience. You should try it at least Haruhi, it wouldn't cause you too much trouble really."

She blinked.

_Kyouya never really does ask me to do things like this.._

_I didn't even think he did these things himself._

_Somehow I imagined him just watching the others fall, probably writing something down about it._

_But, I guess he actually participates.._

_That must mean something, right?_

_It do-_

A small hand pulled at the sleeve of her jacket as Honey looked up at her, his eyes as big and watery as they could probably get.

"Haru-chan," He began, "Do you think you can just try it..? Please? I know that you don't want to and that's okay, but I think you'll really like it.. All you have to do is jump and pull a strap, that's it. I think you can do it. Please, for me?"

Haruhi swallowed, feeling her will slowly starting to slip away.

_Oh God.._

_He pulled the eyes again._

She found herself staring at Honey's large watery eyes as he sniffled, looking back up at her.

_Can't look away.._

_No, no, no! I can't do this.. Jumping off of a plane? No way.._

_But.._

_Oh.._

_Maybe... I can.._

_He did say it wouldn't be that bad.._

_I guess I could just try it once..._

_It's not like I'm going to make it a habit or something.._

_And Kyouya even said it was alright.. Not something I would have expected him to comment on but, I suppose that means something..._

She gulped, willing herself to try and hold on to any last shred of will.

But, she couldn't help it, she cracked.

"Fine.."She mumbled, almost inaudible, "What do I have to do now?"

Honey's face instantly brightened, the twins and Tamaki's along with it.

"Right this way Haruhi!" Hikaru said, pulling open the door to the kitchen.

As the others went through she followed, staying near the back of them.

Haruhi heard the faint padding of feet behind her as Kyouya moved himself to walk next to her.

"Your will power is amazing.." He said with a hushed tone, his voice still laced with sarcasm.

"Oh come on," She turned towards him pulling down on her coat, "How was I supposed to resist Honey-sempai's eyes? I doubt you could even do that.."

They passed through a large black door that led them down a flight of stairs.

Looking down at her he said, "It is true that he can easily get people to do what he wants."

Her head tilted slightly to the side, "Now that I think of it, I guess that is true.. He can really get anyone to do anything for him."

They both looked at the small blonde in the front of the group.

"I guess it is only fitting that the Secretary of Defense called him weapon of mass destruction.."

She gave a slight laugh, "I wonder ho-"

"Here we are!" Kaoru said gesturing towards the large room in front of them.

The room was spacious, but made entirely out of metal with nothing in it but two long benches on either side of the room and large sleek cabinets sitting above them.

The twins ran over to one of the cabinets and slid it open, pulling out large black backpacks and passing them out.

Haruhi moved to unzip her's and Kyouya's hand moved her own away from the zipper quickly.

"That's where the parachute is kept Haruhi. It would be best if you don't try to open it." He said, a slight grin pulling at his features.

"Oh." She said, feeling slightly idiotic.

Two hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her towards them.

The twins spun her so that she was facing them and began to instruct, "Alright then Haruhi. Seeing as you've never done this before _we'll _be you teachers."

_Oh God, I really am going to die.._

They each picked up their packs and Hikaru continued talking, "This is your pack. It has the parachute in it and that can be used by pulling this strap. You are going to have two options on this jump Haruhi. You can either do a tandem jump, which means you'd be attached to one of us as we jump and we'd do all the work concerning the parachute or you can do what's called a AFF jump, where two of us would hold onto you as we jump and then we'd help you get the parachute open if there's any trouble and then separate for landing."

They looked at her, waiting for a response.

"Well," She began, "I don't really want to be attached to either one of you two and have my life completely in your hands. So, I guess I'll do the AFF jump."

The twins looked crestfallen, "Okay.. This is what you're supposed to do."

They launched into a complex lesson, showing her how to work the parachute pack and what the emergency backups were for it.

Eventually, after what seemed like an hour or two later they finished their instruction, allowing Haruhi to sit down on one of the long metal benches and relax.

_I never even knew that the twins knew so much about something.._

_God.. How often do they do this?_

Haruhi heard the faint noise of someone sitting down next to her and hoped it wasn't 'Teacher Hikaru or Teacher Kaoru'.

Luckily it wasn't, she turned to find Kyouya sitting to her right writing something down in his notebook, which still seemed to be hidden from her even though he was right next to her.

"So, did you have a fun lesson?" He asked, a trace of sarcasm could be heard in his voice.

She rolled her eyes, replying with the same sarcastic tone, "Oh yeah, it was so much fun. I love being taught by Hikaru and Kaoru, it's not like I think they could kill me easily by this at all.."

He gave an unexpected chuckle, "I'm sure they won't kill you. More likely you will kill yourself, but still there is a pretty low chance of that."

_What reassuring words..._

"So you have actually been skydiving before? I didn't peg you as that type." She tapped her fingers against her leg absentmindedly.

"I would never do this type of activity on my own time, but, the Host Club did an event last year where we all had to skydive onto the West Roof of the school. It was quite a grand entrance though and it made lots of profit for the club, so I suppose it was worth it."

She was about to reply when something was flung at her face.

She flinched before looking at the thing she had tried to dodge, it was a... jumpsuit?

"Put that on over your clothes." Kaoru said handing each of the hosts one.

_This has something to do with aerodynamics. I think.._

Haruhi stood up, slipping the suit on.

She reached behind her, trying in vain to zip it up when she felt a hand brush hers away and quickly do it for her.

She was about to protest when Kyouya's voice cut over her own, "If you are going to say that you could have done it yourself then try not to look so helpless when you try and do it next time. It's quite hard to not want to help when you look like that."

He turned away in just enough time not to see the very faint blush that had risen on her face.

_I blush at the slightest things don't I?_

She put on the large backpack in front of her, strapping it on to her tightly as she was instructed to.

Hikaru's voice jumped out over all of the others, "Alright men!"

"And Haruhi." Kaoru added, "Don't forget, we are all going to meet up at the villa! It's pretty hard to miss, no matter where you are. So just head that way when you land."

"Is everyone ready to go?" Hikaru said as they all nodded, "Then hit the button Kaoru."

Kaoru pressed a large red button on the wall and then quickly sat down on the metal bench where he was soon accompanied by his brother.

_What are they do-_

A loud whistling sound was heard as the 'wall' in front of them slowly began to shrink into the ground revealing the open sky outside.

Her heart began to pound in her chest.

The air whistled by the door quickly making it hard to hear.

"I'll go first!" Honey said cheerfully, heading towards the door with Mori close behind.

"See you all soon!" With that the small senior and Mori jumped and they were quickly whisked away from the plane.

Tamaki was next as he charged towards the 'door' with a cry of, "AUUUGGGAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

That left only her, Kyouya and the twins.

"I suppose it is my turn then." Kyouya said, walking towards the open sky.

He slipped his glasses off, putting them in a secure pocket on the backpack.

"I'll see you all on the ground then." He said before taking a step forward and dropping down.

Hikaru and Kaoru took a step towards her now, grins on each of their faces, "No chickening out now Haruhi.. You've got to go."

_Oh God.._

_I'm jumping from a plane with the Hitachiin Twins! What the hell am I thinking?_

_They're going to kill me.._

"You remember what we told you, right?" Kaoru said, "Fifteen seconds after you drop you pull the cord for the parachute."

She nodded.

_I really can't chicken out now.._

_Crap._

_Damn rich bastards and their damn rich skydiving.._

"Just try and do exactly as we said and you'll be fine. When you land just unhook the parachute and walk away, someone will be out to collect it soon."

She nodded again.

Their hands grabbed her arms lightly and led her to the edge of the plane.

She looked down at the ground far, far below.

The snow seemed to make it look even more imposing.

"Now Haruhi, just remember one more thing.." Kaoru said softly.

"Try not to scream!" Hikaru yelled giving her a push as she tumbled out of the plane and into the open air.

* * *

**Well, that's not exactly the best way to get someone to go skydiving.. But I suppose it worked.  
Ah, the next chapter...  
I think its going to be quite good if it turns out the way I'm thinking.  
I think the it'll be up either Wednesday or late Thursday.  
Because I'm leaving for Metrocon Thursday morning and it's a 7 hour drive to get there with no internet so I doubt I'll be able to update then.  
If I somehow get a lot of inspiration, AKA reviews, I might be able to overcome my procrastination and get it done on Wednesday.  
Who knows, some big even always occurs to distract me when I try and write.  
But I'll hopefully get the next chappy done soon.  
Does anyone have any ideas, requests, or predictions on what will happen soon?  
I kind of want to know what people think..  
Oh, and do you think Haruhi and Kyouya should go on a date while they are in Switzerland?  
If so tell me where and I'll give it consideration.. I'm still playing with a bunch of ideas on whats going to happen.  
Alright, see you all again soon!**

**~Blue **


	31. Chapter 31

Everything to Gain:  
Chapter 31: Uncontrollable

**We have reached 300 reviews people..  
300 FREAKING REVIEWS.  
*.* I never thought I would see this day come..  
Thank you all for being so great!  
As to Fiona2108, once this story is over I will have a one-shot up for you with a theme of whatever you like. You can PM me with ideas so I can work on it maybe when I'm free and I might have it up sooner. As for MexicanHippieChild and I-LOVE-The-Host-Club you should do that as well seeing as I haven't received any solid ideas from either one of you for your 100th and 200th reviews.  
As for everyone else, I'm sorry that I couldn't get an update up on Sunday or Thursday.  
I was at Metrocon, and that was just too amazing to sit down at my computer for.. So yeah..  
And by the way if you ever end up thinking, "Hmm, maybe I should go to this Metrocon thing.. Blue seemed to like it so maybe I would."  
The answer is YES.  
It was my first year at Florida's largest anime convention and I must say it was GREAT.  
Ahh, I met so many great people there. It was a blast..  
I cosplayed as Haruhi Fujioka, of course, and I met some other Ouran fans who all are automatically my friends because of our shared obsession.  
And now I am most likely going to Shadocon, another Tampa convention in November.  
If you're going there this year, send me a message or something I'm looking for roomates or even people just to hang out.  
If you have no idea what Shadocon is, google it and then go to the convention. Trust me if it ends up being anything like Metrocon, you wont regret it.  
And here we are at the 31st chapter, don't forget to leave a review and if you do see any mistakes tell me in said review and I'll fix them.  
Thanks!**

* * *

Haruhi felt a hand roughly shove her forward.

Her body toppled over the edge of the plane and her eyes grew wide as she fell through the open air.

Wind whistled by her as she dropped farther and farther towards the ground; it pulled at her clothing and pack, jerking her back and forth.

She could feel her heartbeat grow faster and faster as she plummeted towards the ground at an alarming rate.

_WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?_

_Damn twins!_

_I'm falling out of a plane!_

_Why the hell did I agree to this!_

She found herself being flipped around as the wind and gravity pushed her this way and that way.

_Damn rich bastards and their damn rich skydiving._

_What was I even supposed to do?_

_Uh.._

_Oh crap!_

_Wasn't I supposed to pull the parachute after fifteen seconds?_

_How long has it been?_

_Probably more that fifteen seconds.._

_I guess that means I should pull it right?_

A small burst of panic began to rise in her chest as she looked at the earth below her that was slowly getting closer and closer every second.

She shakily reached for the small cord attached to her pack and pulled it.

Her whole body was yanked upright and her shoulders roughly pushed back by the too tight straps of the parachute as it caught the wind.

Her speedy fall slowly was reduced to a drift downward and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Haruhi forced herself to unclench her hands and look down at the scene bellow her.

Huge snow-capped mountains were spread out before her. They dwarfed the many pine trees that spread out all around their base and out into the large expanse of pure white snow.

Through the vast amount of pine trees she could see an obnoxiously large house near the edge of the woods. It seemed to be built right in between two of the larger mountains that she hoped she would not be forced to ski on.

She took a shaky breath in, the cold mountain air chilled the inside of her mouth, it made her a bit more alert as she realized she was beginning to near the ground.

_Am I just supposed to land?_

_It'll just drop me perfectly on the ground right?_

_Isn't that what these things are supposed to do?_

She looked back down at the ground below her, filled with tall, snow covered pine trees as far as she could see until the mountain began to slant upward.

She gulped.

_How exactly am I supposed to not hit all of those..?_

As she grew even closer to the ground she realized the inevitable.

_Oh God, I'm headed right for those trees aren't I?_

Haruhi leaned to the right and then to the left, trying to angle herself away from the mass of branches she was quickly approaching.

_Is there anyway to steer this thing?_

_This damn parachute.._

_How do I even try to avoid this?_

She was close enough now that she could see the individual leaves on the tree and found herself bracing for the impact.

_Oh God.._

She plunged feet first into the tree cover and the dry branches scraped across the thick material of her jumpsuit, prickling her legs inside before they quickly made their way to her head, the only uncovered part of her body. The branches scratched at the side of her face, leaving the skin feeling raw and battered as more and more followed them.

She felt her hood get pushed back and her hair was soon pulled at by many branches resulting in a very loud curse to come from her mouth.

After what felt like an eternity of falling she finally came to a jerky stop as her parachute was caught in the trees.

Haruhi hung limply from the straps of her pack as she took in deep breaths, her face burning.

She looked down, she was still about ten feet off of the ground.

The snow below her was pure white and looked completely untouched.

_Well isn't this peaceful.._

The silence of the area was broken by a loud groaning noise that seemed to come from her pack.

She tried to look upward at it, but her head movement was very limited due to the straps of her backpack cutting off all circulation to her arms.

_How am I supposed to get down?_

Looking to her left and then her right she noticed a large, thick tree branch about five feet away from her.

_Maybe I can.._

She leaned towards it, stretching her arms out as far as they would go in hopes of grabbing onto the branch.

She couldn't reach it.

_I guess that really shouldn't count as a surprise. _

_Hmm.._

She swung her body as far to the right as she could and then leaned back left.

_Maybe I can find a way to swing myself over there?_

Alternating quickly from leaning left and right she built up a powerful swing as she extended her arms out towards the branch.

Her fingers brushed against the bark but she was quickly pulled away.

_Damn it!_

_One more time.._

This time, as she neared the tree branch she wrapped her arms around it as tightly as she could, holding on with all of her might.

And she stayed there this time.

_Thank God.._

The straps of the back pulled at her shoulders very roughly now almost yanking her back into the air.

_Now how do I get this damn thing off?_

She looked down at the crisscrossing straps that held the backpack on her.

Shakily, she took one hand off of the tree branch, reaching around herself to undo a series of buckles on her sides.

As each one popped open the pressure became looser and looser until the pulling on her toso was reduced to just the two large shoulder straps that almost caused her to topple over.

_I better not fall._

_I swear I am going to have the twins heads when I get down from here..._

With a grunt she maneuvered her arm through one of the last straps.

She could hear the trees began to rustle in what seemed like the wind as she pulled the other arm through the final strap with a sigh of relief.

But, as she pulled her arm out she quickly found herself falling backward as she lost her balance.

_Oh God.._

She braced herself for the hard impact of landing ten feet below her.

But, somehow it never came.

Her fall quickly came to a soft halt.

Haruhi slowly opened her eyes to see an all too familiar face looking back at her with a very familiar smirk.

"Kyouya?" She blinked, looking back at the Shadow King's dark eyes.

He let her down, "Yes, Haruhi?"

Her feet slid back and forth on the hard snow and she felt Kyouya's arms rest on her shoulders as he lightly leaned on her.

"How did you g-" She began, only to be interrupted with him coolly replying, "I saved you from at least breaking a few bones. You should be thanking me now.. Does it really matter how I got here?"

She sighed.

"I suppose not." She mumbled under her breath.

_Damn mysterious bastard.._

She didn't reply as she shrugged Kyouya's arms off of her, reaching behind her she tugged the zipper on her jumpsuit down.

Careful not to fall on the slippery snow underfoot she slipped the suit off and was surprised to find that her clothes underneath were not damaged in the least by her fall through the trees.

_At least something the twins gave me worked right.._

Haruhi folded the suit over her arm and noticed the odd stare Kyouya was giving her.

"What exactly happened to you, Haruhi?" He asked as he took a step closer, "Because it looks like to me that the trees seem to have something against you."

His hand brushed against the side of her neck and she sucked in a breath, jerking her head away from him as sharp pain radiated from that spot.

_What was that?_

She moved her own hand up to her neck, feeling the same spot only to discover what felt like a deep gash in her skin.

_Is that.._

Ignoring the bursts of pain that seemed to be coming from it she brushed her hand over it again, still not believing what she felt.

"Does it hurt?" Kyouya asked her, his eyes flickering from hers to her neck.

"Uh.. N-No. Trust me I'm fine." She turned around before starting to walk to her left, "Lets just get back to the house, I'm sure all of the others are already there by now!"

He grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him, "I would appreciate it if you didn't make such obvious lies, especially when talking to me about something that could be quite serious."

She was standing close to him now, her chest pressed against his lightly.

His hand moved her chin upward slowly until she was looking at him dead in the eyes, "That is of course, unless you are willing to accept what comes from those lies."

She blinked, moving her face closer to his as she-

"Haru-chaaan~! Kyo-chaaan! Where are you?" Honey's voice called out, sounding very close.

Kyouya's hand slipped from her chin just as the short blonde popped out of a bush, "Haru-chan wh- Oh! There you are!"

She took a step back from Kyouya, her face feeling flushed as Honey ran at her, his arms wrapping around her waist as he hugged her.

"Hey, Honey-sempai.." She said, looking down at the small but happy face of her senior friend.

"Takashiii~!" He called out, looking back towards the large bush he had just ran through, "Takashi, I found them!"

The trees around them rustled as Mori stepped out stoically, giving a nod to Honey as he stepped forward manuvering himself so that he now stood near Kyouya.

"What are you guys doing?" Haruhi asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"Nothing!" Honey replied happily, "We just had to come and find you because Tama-chan was worried you got lost! He said something about you dying alone in the woods, so we came to make sure you're alright!"

He reached for her hand, grabbing it and pulling her to their left, "Come on Haru-chan the house is this way!"

Honey ran quickly, clutching her hand tightly as he weaved in and out through the thick forest of evergreen trees.

The most she could do was try and keep up.

"Honey-sempai!" She called out, trying to get the blonde to slow down his sprinting pace.

He didn't hear her.

She stumbled forward, being pulled closer and closer to their destination with every step.

She let out a hiss of air as a few pine tree branches hit the side of her neck, making the cut there sting even more.

"Honey-sempai please let me g-" She stopped herself, letting out a sigh of relief as they cleared the mass of trees and emerged in front of a large mansion.

_This is there idea of a winter cottage I suppose.._

The house was five-hundred meters away from the edge of packed evergreens, giving it room for the huge, spidery trees covered in snow that lined the driveway.

_I guess you wouldn't even call this a house.._

_More like a castle._

_Damn rich people.._

The entire home was made of a shiny white marble, accented only by the dark black roofing and doors.

It rose up high above even the tallest trees and Haruhi could see faint light glowing from each of the windows.

Honey ran through the opening of a large gate letting her hand go.

Haruhi stopped, panting as she bent over, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

Her hand immediately went up to the right side of her neck, where the constant throbbing had only gotten worse.

She swallowed as she lowered her hand and saw the smeared blood on it.

_Did it really get that bad?_

_I-It doesn't feel like that.._

As she thought that another wave of pain sprung out from the wound, causing her to take a trip herself as she took an involuntary step forward.

She closed her eyes as she found herself nearing the ground, prepared for a face full of snow, but once again, found herself luckily grabbed by two arms.

Prying her eyes open slowly she stood up and found herself looking up at Mori and Kyouya.

The two each removed their arm from her and Mori began walking towards the direction Honey had gone.

Kyouya sighed pushing his glasses up before asking, "Is it bleeding now?"

She reluctantly nodded, beginning to lift her hand off of the wound for him to see.

"It would be best if you didn't do that Haruhi. Let's just quickly walk to the house and then take a look at it there." He motioned in front of them.

_I guess that's a good idea.. It's not like he can do anything out here._

She walked through the ankle deep snow towards the mansion in front of her, trying to move her neck as little as possible.

Haruhi blinked as the world seemed to go out of focus for a moment, the edges of her sight turning black as she blinked.

_That's weird. Must be something to do with the cold out here.._

A yawn left her lips as she continued to trudge forward, she could now make out the forms of the members of the Host Club jumping around at the door of the house, waiting eagerly for her to get to them.

_I'm really tired too.. I wonder what time it is in Japan._

_Isn't it a seven hour time change here?_

_Hmm..._

Her eyes began to droop the more she walked and her breath came in shorter gasps.

_Mm.. I wonder why I'm so tired._

_I did get a lot of sleep on the plane.._

_So I shouldn't be this tired right?_

She yawned again, allowing herself the luxury of closing her eyes as she walked.

_I really do need to go to sle..._

_You know that wouldn't be that bad of an idea._

_It is kind of peaceful out here.._

_I wonder if the snow is soft.._

She gave one last long blink before drifting off.

* * *

_Mmm..._

_I when we're going to get to the house._

_This sure has been a long walk._

_I can't even remember h-_

_Wait a second._

_I'm not walking.._

_I fell asleep?_

_What?_

Haruhi jerked her eyes open to find a familiar face looking down at her.

He pushed up his glasses and she swore she saw a sigh of relief leave his mouth before Kyouya said, "You're awake."

She looked around.

She was laying down in a plush bed, made of dark rich fabrics that only made the brown wood flooring and wood panels lining the walls seem even more, what she assumed the rich thought of as relaxing.

"What happened?" Her hand went to her neck only to find a thick bandage covering the entire right side of it.

"Well, I believe you suffered a mild case of altitude sickness. That, combined with shock your new environment and your wonderful incident sky-diving, was enough to cause you to faint." Kyouya adjusted himself on the bed he was sitting on just enough so that he could look her straight in the eye.

"Judging by the size of your pupils I think you'll be completely fine in about ten hours or so. But until then you should try to not do anything physically straining if you don't have to. You should feel pretty lucky. It could have been much worse."

She let a smile slip on her face, "I think I'll be able to handle not doing anything physical. Hopefully that leaves me out of whatever wonderful adventure the twins have planning for me next."

A grin pulled at the corner of Kyouya's lips, "It does. They actually left about thirty minutes ago to go skiing or something along those lines. Seeing as I am the only one here with any bit of medical training I was the one that had to stay home."

"Oh, I'm sure you're really upset about that one.." The sarcasm dripped from her voice as she propped herself up into a sitting position.

"I definitely am. It's not like I would ever want to miss out on throwing myself off a dangerously steep mountain with a board strapped underneath me. It seems much too enjoyable." He rolled his eyes, letting the grin on his face grow just a bit bigger.

"I'm surprised they ended up going in the first place. It seems like this is the type of thing they would all freak out over and demand to take care of me twenty-four seven. Especially when going out meant leaving you and I alone. I just can't imagine them doing that willingly." Her eyes drifted over to the door, expecting an over-eccentric blonde to burst through any minute.

Kyouya gave a light shrug as he brought his feet up on the bed, leaning his head against the backboard of it.

His glasses gave a quick glint, "Well, I might have used a few persuasive methods on them to encourage them to leave.. Nothing too drastic though. If they had really had a strong will to stay I'm sure they'd still be here now."

She sighed.

_He of all people would be the one to intimidate the others into leaving. _

_It's not like any of them had enough will power to come close to defying the Shadow King himself._

She looked around.

_I guess I'll just enjoy the peace for as long as I can._

_Because as soon as they come back.. Well, I doubt they'll be any more of that._

"I must admit, you gave us all quite a scare though." He looked at her over the top of his glasses.

Haruhi blinked, "But you knew I was going to be fine, didn't you? It couldn't have been that bad."

"Well, seeing as I carried you to the house from where you had fallen and when all of the others saw you unconscious they immediately assumed the worst which in turn even made my thoughts sink. By the time I had calmed everyone down enough that they weren't going to call 911 I had to examine you, while everyone was watching nervously over my shoulder."

Kyouya took his glasses off, pulling a cleaning cloth out of his pocket and rubbing it against the glass.

She gave him a blank stare, "So you guys were worried about me, right?"

His eyes flickered over to her and then back to the glasses, "Obviously."

"Well, you shouldn't be. Me getting altitude sickness is just something that happened. There's not much you guys could have done to prevent it, so why worry? Just let me get better and carry on." She looked back at him, still cleaning his glasses and sighed.

"Are you even listening?" She looked again for a response and found none.

His eyes slid towards her, now giving her his full attention, "Not really. Seeing as you didn't even understand what I had just said I see no reason for why I shou-"

"I listened to everything you said! You're just upset beca-" She was cut off as Kyouya turned towards her, he grabbed her wrist, pushing it against the back board of the bed and leaned over her.

"No, Haruhi. You didn't listen to me. If you were truly listening to me you would have understood what I had said. That means you would have known that I, Kyouya Ootori just stated the fact that I was worried about you. Seeing as that is rarely something you would ever find me saying about anyone that enough should make you believe that it is unchangeable. Yet, here you are trying to convince me my own feeling hadn't happened. Something that I find very silly."

She looked back at him, his eyes without their glasses seeming so very bare and somehow striking.

His lips brushed against the side of her cheek as he whispered into her ear, "Now would you like to restate your previous argument? Or do you still need further convincing of why I was correct?"

Haruhi blinked, her eyes widening at his closeness, "I, um.. I mean to say that, uh, I.."

_God damn it what am I saying..?_

She never truly did get the words out though, for at that moment Kyouya turned his head pressing his lips against hers.

Her arm that wasn't pinned down by him moved to his shoulder unconsciously moving him closer to her as their closed mouths melded together. His free arm moved underneath her pushing against the small of her back lightly as he adjusted his position. He moved his mouth against hers a bit more roughly this time as she felt his tongue flick over her lips and what could only be described as a muffled groan escaped from her. This seemed to encourage Kyouya as her lips parted, his tongue now brushing against the inside of her lips as he moved himself closer to her.

She froze for a moment at the unfamiliar presence, but soon found herself relaxing to it tilting her head upward towards him.

She drew in a much needed breath as his lips slowly parted from hers.

As he looked down at her she noticed he was also now short of breath, "Not to imply anything truly horrendous with this statement but I must tell you Haruhi, my control over myself in this situation is slowly beginning to wane."

_Does he mean to say that.._

Haruhi felt bold as she brushed her lips over his lightly, "I understand.." she said, her voice just barely over a whisper.

His hand moved to wrap around her waist, "I do believe that somehow you will be the end of me Haruhi.."

"Lets just hope that doesn't happen." She replied, a small smile beginning to grow on her face.

* * *

**Wooo...  
That chapter for some reason did NOT want to be written.  
I hope you all enjoyed the fluff there.  
I'm slowly wanting them to get a bit more serious in their relationship..  
Anyone have any ideas of things they should do in the wonderful place that is Switzerland?  
Other than the basic skiing/snowboarding thing..  
I've only been up in the snowy mountains once or twice so my knowledge of it isn't great.  
All comments help.  
Which is basically my way of saying review... Please.  
Well, I'll see you all on Sunday. Or else some form of author-like death will come upon me.**

**~Blue**


	32. Chapter 32

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 32: Who?

**My gosh.  
I love all of you so much!  
20 reviews on the last chapter!  
Heck yeah!  
****I'm really being rushed to write this author's note, I'll tell you more about it at the bottom of the page.  
If you see any mistakes, please tell me!  
Thanks, and enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

The sharp trill of a cell phone rang out in the quiet room.

Kyouya watched as Haruhi blinked, looking towards her pocket where the sound was coming from.

_Whoever is calling must have a death wish._

Noticing her distracted thoughts he pushed her chin up lightly with his hand, moving her mouth closer to his.

Once again, his lips crashed into hers and he tightened his arm around her back moving closer to her as they kissed.

Flicking his tongue against her lip, he eagerly awaited access to the rest of her mouth.

She turned underneath him opening her mouth slightly as it was pressed against his.

By now the sound had thankfully faded away, only to be come back only seconds later, as obnoxious as ever.

Haruhi's lips parted from his as she looked back down at her pocket, "I'm sorry.. But you know who's ringtone that is..."

He gave a low growl, "Fine, answer it."

Haruhi unwrapped the her hand from his neck and took the phone from her pocket, flipping it open.

She held it up to her ear, "Hello? Tamaki-sempai?"

Kyouya heard a loud buzz come from the phone, probably a product of Tamaki yelling into it.

He could barely hear Tamaki speak when Haruhi's face flushed a very deep shade of red as she hurriedly replied, "Uhm.. I-Uh.. No, it's not that you did it's just that, uh..."

She cut herself off throwing him a quick glance before dropping her eyes.

Kyouya leaned closer to her pressing his ear onto the other side of the phone in an attempt to hear her conversation.

Her eyes widened and she awkwardly switched the phone to her other ear.

He leaned to her other side smirking at her almost comical reaction.

"Uh, no Tamaki-sempai. Nothing. I'm just rest-" Haruhi stopped mid-sentence to switch her phone to the other side of her head to stop him from listening,"-ing. Doing completely nothing here."

He reached for her phone, resulting her rolling over as she tried to keep it in her hand, "Oh, no! You definitely don't have to come here! I'm fine, perfectly fine! You guys just do whatever you want and come back when you're done."

He leaned his arms over her shoulders, pinning her down in a way that wasn't too unlike what had happened at the beach house as he plucked the phone out of her hand.

"Tamaki?" He said, letting the smirk on his face show to the girl underneath him, "Oh yes, I just wanted to tell you that it would probably best if all of you stay out for as long as you can, seeing as Haruhi isn't fully rested yet. All of you being here would only accomplish the opposite."

Haruhi squirmed underneath him, trying in vain to push him off, "Hey! Let me go, and give me back my phone! I was talking there!"

"KYOUYA! Mon ami! Is Haruhi okay? She seemed like she was focused on something else in entirely when I was talking to her.. Are you absolutely sure she is perfect in every single way?" Tamaki practically screamed into the phone.

"Yes, she's fine... Just like I told you before, very mild altitude sickness. I just think I'd be best if she didn't do anything too strenuous for a few hours." He couldn't help it as his grin grew larger looking at the very irritated Haruhi he had trapped.

Tamaki's voice buzzed in his ear loudly, "Perhaps we should all come home and pamper her! What else would help our wonderful princess more tha-"

"As I said before Tamaki, I believe it'd be best if you stayed out for a while."

He could practically feel the blonde's sadness through the phone, "But, Kyouyyyaaa~ We're not **_that _**big of a trouble we cou-"

"Yes, you and the twins are definitely considered strenuous." Kyouya stated looking back down as Haruhi narrowed her eyes as she leaned back and forth trying to push him off of her.

"Wouldn't being trapped underneath you be considered strenuous?" She growled as she pushed against his chest, once again failing to move him.

"Tamaki, it seems I have to go now. You can tell me all about what you're doing when you get back." He could hear the disappointment in his friends voice as he mumbled something along the lines of a goodbye.

He clicked the phone shut and Haruhi reached for it in his hand.

_Hm.._

"Now where exactly were we before that moron called?" He asked pocketing her phone.

She narrowed her eyes, "Nowhere. Just give me back my phone and get off of me!"

He sighed, "Really, Haruhi? Come on, it couldn't have been that big of a hassle."

Quickly she reached for his pocket trying to grab her phone

His hand caught her wrist, stopping her hand mid-air.

Haruhi gave a very irritated sounding groan.

He gave a grin in response.

_I wonder if it's odd I find her reactions so endearing.._

She looked back at him, "You don't just grab things out of other people's hands! Especially not when they're using them."

"Well, the way you were handling that conversation Tamaki and the others would have been over here in just a few minutes. I doubt you wanted that, did you?"

She looked down and then back up at him, "Well, not necessarily. I suppose I'd rather not have to deal with the twins again after they pushed by out of a plane.."

_Are they really that stupid?_

Kyouya raised his eyebrows, letting the pressure of his arms on her shoulders up a bit as he asked, "So they really did push you out by yourself.. That's just reaching an idiotic level of danger."

"Yeah they did," Haruhi sighed, "I guess I should have expected it from them though. It's definitely the type of thing they would do."

He lifted himself off of her, moving himself so that he was now sitting next to her on the bed, "That probably is one of the reasons Hikaru almost fainted when he saw you. He probably thought it was their fault. And I suppose in part it was."

He saw his glasses glint, they were sitting on the edge of the bed where they had been discarded when he had moved towards Haruhi.

He reached for them, glad they didn't fall only to find a smaller hand grab them before he even got the chance.

Looking to his left he saw Haruhi, a self-confident smirk on her face.

"Give those back please." He said, blinking as his horrible vision began to bother him.

"No way. Give me my phone back and then we'll talk."

He looked at her with a bit of surprise, "You're actually trying to bargain with me here?"

He let out a chuckle, "Just give me my glasses Haruhi."

"Just give me my phone Kyouya." She looked at him, dead serious.

_I suppose I could play this game with her._

"One thing about bargaining." He began, "To make a good deal you must have something of high value. As you can see here I have your cell phone."

He pulled the small phone out of his pocket, "You only have one of these and there is no way for you to get another right now. What you have in your hands is my glasses. I have multiple pairs of them in my luggage and could get them easily if needed."

Leaning closer towards Haruhi he dangled the phone in front of her face, "This is much more necessary to you than those glasses are to me. So I suggest you give them to me now and I'll give you your phone back at a later time."

He watched as she bit her bottom lip, looking from the cell phone to him, then her eyes widened, "Wait. Didn't Hikaru and Kaoru say on the plane that it would take like, six hours or something if I wanted to land with the plane and then get here on the ground?"

A smile grew on her face, "And wasn't all of our luggage on that plane as well? So wouldn't your spare glasses not arrive for about five hours or so? Meaning you wouldn't be able to see till then?"

_Damn her.._

Kyouya, of course, had known this fact from the start but had assumed Haruhi wouldn't have payed attention.

But somehow she had caught him dead in his lie.

"While that may be true it still doesn't change the fact that I have something that you won't be able to get a new one of until we get back to Japan, which will be at least a week or more from now and I sti-"

"Wait a second? We're going to be here for a week! What the hell?" She leaned forward, causing her grip on his glasses to slip ever so slightly.

_Just a little more and I'll be able to get them._

"Yes of course." He said, trying to play up Haruhi's nerves enough so that she would loosen her grip on the glasses, "That's only the minimum if Tamaki and the twins get bored. They never exactly said an exact date for when we'd be leaving, so I suppose it could end up to be a bit more than that."

Her eyes bulged, giving him the perfect opportunity.

He reached out quickly snatching his glasses from her hands and quickly placing them on his eyes before she could snatch them back.

She reached towards him trying to reclaim his glasses but he pushed her arm to the side causing her just to fall onto his chest.

"Oh come on! That's so unfair..." She sighed.

Kyouya gave her a shrug, "I suppose it isn't, is it?"

He stood up from the bed walking towards the door as he pushed his glasses up.

Looking back towards her, still sitting on the bed.

A growl rang out in the room.

_What was tha-_

Then he realized the source of it, it was Haruhi's stomach.

He truly couldn't help himself from laughing as he watched her face go bright red as she looked down at herself.

"I presume you're hungry then Haruhi?" He couldn't keep the amusement from his voice as he spoke.

She bit her lip before nodding, "Yeah, I guess I am. I haven't really eaten much since we were at the Host Club."

"Haruhi, that's well over seven hours without food." He pulled open the door, "Come on."

He stepped out into the hallway, looking around he saw a servant walk by down the end of the hallway with a flick of his hand he waved the man over, "Please have the chef prepare a meal us and bring it to the tables here."

The man nodded, "Yes, Ootori-sama. Right away."

He scurried off, heading towards the large staircase on his right.

Haruhi stepped out next to him and he watched as she took in the room in front of them, her eyes growing wide.

Although he had to admit, the room was rather impressive, the first time he had seen it he himself was impressed as well.

The entire wall to their right was made of glass, seeing as they were on the second story it gave a panoramic view of the mountains and trees spread out below them.

The rich brown hardwood floors worked perfectly, in his opinion, with the cream colored walls on one of which a large glass art sculpture hung made of warm red and gold pieces.

The large room was broken up by various pieces of furniture. Near the glass wall small tables each with a few chairs near them were placed as well as two large couches around a coffee table and a large plush chair. He and Haruhi stood in the right corner farthest away from the glass, behind them the wall consisted of many doors each leading to a different bedroom. The bedroom they had just come out of though was the one closest to the staircase on their left which led down to the main floor of the house. On the wall opposite from the one they were near there was two more very large brown couches, placed around a television mounted on the wall. In the middle of the room stood a large cylindrical fireplace, the outside carved into an intricate sculpture made of wood that stopped roughly ten feet off of the ground to leave room for the massive fire pit. All around this there were four circular couches.

"Who did you say this house belonged to?" Haruhi asked, looking back at Kyouya.

He could hear her mutter something along the lines of, "Damn rich bastards and their damn rich mansion.."

"It's the Haninozuka's estate. I believe Honey-sempai has talked about it once or twice." He replied.

Her eyes softened slightly.

He walked towards the wall of glass looking out at the Swiss Alps spread out in front of them, "It really is quite beautiful out there, don't you think so?"

The pad of her bare feet against the wood was heard as she walked next to him, "I guess it is. It looks a little unreal to me I suppose, as if everything is so cleanly cut and placed that it couldn't be just naturally like this."

She took a step forward, placing her hand against the glass, "But it is. That's what I find beautiful about the place, that it's somehow naturally perfect like this. Although I can't say the climate really appeals to me. But this view of it is fine."

A rustling noise came from behind them and he looked over his shoulder.

Three servants quietly made their way towards them, pushing a large cart.

"Wait, is that food? How'd they get here so fast?" Haruhi asked, looking at the cart with confusion.

"Seeing as we are the only ones in the house that means the entire team of chefs were purely dedicated to cooking for us. So it didn't take them that long to cook a simple lunch." He gestured towards one of the smaller tables near them and the servants began setting plates and food there.

"Wait, it's lunch time?" She turned from him to the window with a sigh, "God, my time is completely messed up here."

Kyouya noticed her eyes dart towards the plates of food now laid out on the table in front of them.

Haruhi licked her lips hungrily, causing him to give a chuckle as he pulled out a chair, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Oh, thanks." She said, her slightly flushed face and adverted eyes not going unnoticed by him.

Pushing her chair in he took his own seat, watching with amusement as she dug into the food looking completely and utterly happy.

Her eyes flickered upward, "What?"

He grinned at her, "Oh nothing."

_I must say she is so won over by food._

_That of all things has got to be her weakness._

He took a bite of one of the large Swedish meatballs on his plate.

"Do you like the Swedish cuisine?" He asked, wondering if she'd actually take a break from eating to speak.

Reluctantly, she put down the fork, dabbing her face with a napkin, "Yeah, it's pretty good. It's different from food I'd normally eat, it taste much more.. Hearty?"

"I suppose that would be the word for it."

She nodded in response, popping one of the smaller meatballs into her mouth whole.

He took another bite of the food, this time some of the potato.

But, he somehow found himself watching her closely as she ate.

Her smile grew a bit bigger with each bite of food, her eyes closing lightly as she swallowed obviously enjoying each bite much more than he did.

_Why am I watching her?_

_It's not like there could be something that intriguing about someone eating, righ?_

_I don't know exactly what it is, but she's just so.._

_Interesting?_

_Pehaps._

_It's just a di-_

"Do I have something on my face? You've been looking at me for a bit now." Haruhi stated, looking up at him.

"You don't. As for the reason I was watching you. I truly don't know, I suppose you could say I find the way you eat... Endearing."

He watched as she blinked in response, realizing he had just complimented her, "Oh, uh, tha-"

A loud crash came from behind them and they both turned, looking towards the source.

"Crap!" They heard someone whisper as a scuffling noise was heard.

Then, behind one of the couches a ginger-haired head poked out and then quickly ducked back behind it.

"I think they saw us..." A faint voice whispered.

Another replied, "No, maybe they didn't just be quiet!"

A third voice joined in, "Shhh!"

_What the hell?_

* * *

**Yeah, yeah I know. Lame ending.  
I had this chapter almost done around three hours ago but I was abducted by my family for dinner.  
So, this chapter was kind of rushed in the end.  
Did you guys like the beginning?  
I did. It was fun to write.  
My reletives are in town right now, so I've got to go. Everyone is waiting for me and I can't really write that much more..  
Sorry.. D:  
But still.. Please review!  
I'll update on Thursday, see you all then! **

**~Blue**


	33. Chapter 33

Everything to Gain  
Chapter 33: Watching

**Hello there!  
I'm here with another chapter obviously.  
There's not much to say here, other than to remind you to review and to tell me if you see any mistakes.  
Reviews are pretty great.. Just saying.  
Alright, I'll shut up and let you read this chapter.  
Here you go! **

* * *

Haruhi blinked, turning her head towards the source of the sound with a confused expression.

_It can't be... Can it?_

She looked over her shoulder at Kyouya who was interestedly looking towards the fireplace, he raised an eyebrow at her.

She took a step towards the fireplace and called out, "Uh, who's there?"

There was no response, she looked back towards Kyouya who gave only a light sigh before walking around the side of the fireplace and saying with an eerily calm voice, "Would you three like to come out now?"

She heard the clicking of shoes as they stood up and awkwardly shuffled out into plain sight.

Tamaki gave a large grin, "Haruhi! You're better! See, these little devils and I were oh so worried about your illness that we had to rush over here and se-"

"If that's true sempai, then why were you hiding behind a fireplace?" Haruhi could hear the blonde gulp as she asked her question.

Hikaru stepped forward, looking as if he was about to speak, only to be interrupted by Tamaki who said, "Well, we didn't want to disturb you too much seeing as Kyouya said you could still be a bit sick so we decided to wait until you were fully healed!"

She looked at him blankly, "So you were going to spy on us for a few hours?"

The blonde's eyes widened as he backed up slowly, raising his palms up in surrender, "Oh, uh.. No! That's not what we planned at all.. Uh, right Kaoru?"

Kaoru looked from Tamaki to her, "No, that is basically what we planned."

Hikaru smacked his brother's arm, "Kaoru!"

The other twin looked back at Hikaru, "What? We had to tell them. Tono's lie was just getting to the beyond stupid stage. They would have forced it out of us at some point."

Meanwhile, Tamaki, who was still backing up, bumped into the cart that had contained their food, tripping over it and practically falling on top of the large metal box.

"Hey!" A high-pitched voice called out from inside the cart, "Tama-chan that wasn't nice!"

"Sorry Honey-sempai!" He mumbled as he pulled himself off of the cart with a groan.

The door of it slid open and Mori tumbled out, followed by Honey, who landed on top of him with a puff.

Mori sat up straightening out his younger cousin, "Are you okay, Mitsukuni?"

"Mmhmm." Honey replied.

She couldn't help it has a laugh left her mouth as she stared at the scene in front of her.

Honey turned towards her and a smile grew on his face, "Haru-chan!"

He got up, running at her as he threw his arms around her in a hug.

She raised her hands in defense, looking down at the small figure now hugging her, "Hi, Honey-sempai.. What exactly were you doing in a food cart?"

Haruhi heard a small snicker come from the man standing behind her and she narrowed her eyes at Kyouya.

Honey let go of her, looking from her to Mori as he said, "Well.. Takashi and I didn't want to be left behind when the others came here so we followed. And we also kinda wanted to watch you guys so we hid so it wouldn't be awkward. The cart was my idea!"

The short blonde smiled, "And I'm glad we did. You guys are so cute! How long have you two been dating?"

_Did he just a-_

She swallowed as the room settled into an awkward silence.

Even the twins and Tamaki, who had been arguing about their bad planning had grown quiet and turned towards them, waiting for their answer.

She blinked, trying to think of the answer.

Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at Kyouya, unsure of what to do.

She noticed the corner of his lips turn up as he moved his arms to rest on her shoulders, causing her to fall back into him.

"Hm.." He said, "I believe it has been about two months now. Is that correct Haruhi?"

_Has it really been that long already?_

_It's not that I don't like it or something.. It's just that it hasn't felt that long._

Realizing he was expecting an answer she said, "Uh, yes. I think that's right."

Haruhi's eyes scanned the reactions of the people in the room, something she assumed Kyouya was doing as well.

Honey, of course, was still smiling, looking at Mori, who's normal stoic face seemed to be the same other than the light sigh that she saw escape through his lips.

Kaoru also seemed to have a light smile on his face, but that began to twitch downward as he looked at the blank face of his brother.

Tamaki carried a mix of the two, alternating between a peaceful smile and then a worried look.

Probably sensing the odd environment their mixed reactions were creating Kyouya broke the silence by asking, "How long did you say it would be till our luggage arrived?"

Everyone snapped out of their own thoughts after hearing Kyouya's question.

The twins paced in sync walking back and forth as they said, "Eh.. It should be here in about four hours or so. It takes a while to get here from the airport."

"It'll be longer than that." Mori stated looking at Honey to elaborate.

Honey's eyes widened as he said, "Oh yeah! Takashi and I saw a storm coming from the direction that takes you down the mountain. That's where you have to drive through to get to the airport. So they'd probably be delayed, because they don't let you drive up when there is a storm. It's too dangerous."

_A storm..?_

Her whole body froze as her head turned slowly towards the blonde senior, "Uh.. What kind of storm are you talking about?"

He smiled back at her innocently, seeing as he had no idea of her fear, "Thunderstorms Haru-chan! Big ones too! It's too dangerous for cars to drive through them because they get really big with the high altitude we're at!"

She swallowed, feeling her face begin to go white.

Kyouya's arms tightened around her neck, pulling her just a bit closer to him.

_A thunderstorm?_

_...Here?_

_Coming here soon?_

"Do you like thunder, Haru-chan? I love it! It's pretty to watch when it g-"

Kyouya, thankfully interrupted him, "What do you think the chances are of that storm making it's way here? With this I'm worried that our luggage won't make it tonight at all."

He pushed up his glasses as Mori responded, "It seemed like it was traveling slowly, but I think it'll make it's way near us eventually."

Haruhi took a deep breath, trying to stop herself from panicking.

_It'll be fine.._

_Mori-sempai can be wrong, right?_

_It'll be okay._

_It wont hit us._

_Right?_

"So what are we planning on doing the rest of the day?" Hikaru asked.

"Why don't we go tubing!" Tamaki exclaimed, twirling around as he suggested the idea.

"I thought that was something you did on the water?" Haruhi asked, pushing her fear away as much as she could.

Hikaru and Kaoru sighed, walking up to her while wagging a finger back and forth, "No, no, no Haruhi.. You're completely wrong. You can tube on water, but tubing in the snow is totally different... Hmm.. Well, that settles it, due to your lack of knowledge about it we are going tubing!"

She stared at them, her eyes growing wide as she heard their words, "Uh no wa-"

"You are going." The entire host club stated not leaving any room for discussion.

She groaned.

* * *

_How the hell did they get me here?_

Haruhi stared, wide eyed at the sharp incline in front of her and then towards the five people standing to her right holding tubes with happy-go-lucky grins on their faces.

"No way in hell." She stated, beginning to turn around only to be pulled back by two arms.

"But Haruhi... You said you would.." The twins said, resting their heads on her shoulder.

She rolled her eyes, pushing them off of her as she took a few steps away from the hill, "I didn't say anything of that sort.. I'm not falling for that again."

They both sighed, dropping their tubes as they walked towards her.

"Haruhi..." Kaoru began, "Trust us it wont be that bad."

"That's what you told me last time. I'm not listening to you this time. Sorry." She crossed her arms looking at the dejected faces of the Host Club.

_There is no way I'm going down that thing._

She looked up at the gray sky.

_The sooner we get home the better._

_There's no way I want to get caught in that storm.._

Looking back at the group of five people in front of her she realized they were all whispering to each other, occasionally glancing towards her than nodding.

_And it's definitely not fair for them to try and force me to go when they let Kyouya go to the lodge._

_I still can't believe they have their own lodge.. And that all of this is Honey-sempai's property._

She looked around at all of the land around of them.

They had told her that the Haninozuka's owned the majority of the land she could see and that all of the places they were going was his property.

A strong wind blew across the top of the hill that they were on, making Haruhi shiver.

She looked behind her at the very warm looking lodge.

_Why can't I just go in there..?_

She had tried to stay out of what Tamaki and the twins called their 'Tubing Adventure'.

But when she opted for staying at the lodge with Kyouya they all glanced at each other before wordlessly dragging her here.

She had tried to look towards Kyouya for support by asking him if this was considered strenuous activity, which as he had reminded her earlier that she shouldn't be doing.

He gave a half-hidden chuckle and said, "I think you will be fine Haruhi. Do you really think you will be weakened by tubing?"

To that she had to give a low grumble of no, which only gave Tamaki even more reason to bring her here.

_He said something along the lines of, 'We must show a commoner like our poor Haruhi here the wonders that is outdoor winter activities! She has been deprived of the wonder that we consider snow!'_

She felt satisfied when her muttering, "Damn rich bastards" stopped his rant.

But no matter what they were trying to convince her with now, she was determined to not go down that hill strapped to a large plastic tube.

The motion of the five host's caught her eye as they yelled, "Break!" and all walked towards her.

_Oh God.. They better not try an-_

And that's when Tamaki began singing, "Oh, Haruhi~! You should come tubing and sledding with me~!"

The twins joined in with, "It'll be lots of fun~! And look-" They pointed upward. "There isn't even any sun~!"

As Honey began singing lightly in the background of what looked like the beginning of another chorus by the twins she turned back around, "The answer is still no. No matter how much God awful singing you do."

The men looked crestfallen.

"B-But, Haruhi! We ju-" The twins began.

"No way. Sorry." She took another step towards the lodge.

She felt a tugging on her leg as Honey wrapped his arms around her, "Haru-chaaann~! Please! Just once! Go just once and we'll all be happy and then you can go back up to the lodge!"

She looked back at the senior that was almost in tears and then back towards the hill.

Her eyes also caught the pleading faces of the twins and Tamaki.

_Damn it... _

_Just once.. There is no way they can make me go another time._

"Once. No more or else I will find some way to threaten you." She watched as grins broke out on all of their faces as they tossed a tube at her.

It bounced off of her arm and she picked it up off of the ground, unsure of exactly what to do with it.

Kaoru noticed her hesitation, "You just sit in the middle of it and go down the hill. When you reach the end dig your feet into the snow and stop yourself. Don't hit anything either."

_Did he think that I didn't know any of that?_

_It seems pretty obvious.._

Haruhi heard a loud whoop as Tamaki ran by her jumping into his tube as he reached the edge of the hill and quickly slid down.

Hikaru pushed her forward and she heard a cry of, "Go Haru-chan!" as she stumbled towards the edge.

_I guess now is as good of a time as ever.._

She sat down in the tube and pulled herself towards the edge with her hands, glancing over her shoulder at the faces behind her.

With that, she swallowed, giving herself a final push over the edge.

Instantly she began to speed down the hill; quickly she pulled her hands back into the tube, grabbing the handles on the edge.

The wind pulled at her hair, sending a chill through her body as she fell farther and farther down the hill.

The only things she could hear was the light sound of the tube pushing against the hard snow and the whistle of wind.

But, then a loud, happy sounding cry sounded out from behind her.

_Probably enjoying this.._

She sighed.

_I really don't get how this is supposed to be fun.._

Haruhi leaned her head back on the tube, closing her eyes.

_At least I don't have to do anything._

_Maybe I can just relax or something till this is over._

The wind whistled over her face again, and she took a deep breath in, the chilly air feeling refreshing on her tongue.

Somewhere in the back of her head she heard a faint voice yell, "Haruhi?"

She blinked, "Hm?"

"Haruhi?"

_It's just Tamaki.. Not anything to worry about._

"HARUHI!" His voice yelled louder, snapping her out of whatever trance she was in.

She snapped her eyes open, suddenly very aware of how quickly her tube was speeding towards the thick mass of trees in front of her.

_Oh crap!_

She stuck her feet in the snow, causing it to spray around her.

_I'm still not slowing down!_

She heard Tamaki call out, "Jump Haruhi, jump!"

_Jump?_

Panicked from the closeness of the trees she listened to him, jerkily rolling to the side of the tube and falling into the snow in a heap.

_Ow.._

Haruhi felt the snow lodged all throughout her clothes begin to stick to her as she stood up, trying to brush off as much snow as she could on the outside of her coat.

She groaned, shaking the snow out of her hair as Tamaki ran into her, knocking her to the ground again.

"HARUHI! YOU'RE OKAY!" He screamed, pinning her down in the snow.

She shoved him off of her, pulling herself up again.

Tamaki's eyes watered, "Haruhi...? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Are you go-"

"No, sempai. I'm not hurt, I'm not going to die and you don't have to call the ambulance.." Once again, she unsuccessfully tried to brush the snow off of herself.

She looked around the base of the hill, "How exactly are we supposed to get back up?"

Tamaki grinned reaching to grab her wrist but luckily thinking better of it as his hand dropped awkwardly to his side as he said, "Well, Haruhi we get to ride one of the most amazing inventions of this world!"

"And what would that be?" She walked next to him as he led her towards what looked like the place she was supposed to stop at.

Waving a hand in front of him he said proudly, "The snowmobile!"

She blinked, "I don't know how to drive that.."

He grinned again, "And that is why, my dear Haruhi, that you shall ride with me! It shall be an adventure of epic proportions! We shall ride off into the sunset together and never sha-"

"Whatever sempai.. Can you just get me up to the lodge now?"

His eyes dropped as he mumbled something incoherently under his breath before hopping on the snowmobile, motioning for Haruhi to jump on behind him.

She stepped onto it, wrapping her hands very awkwardly around Tamaki's waist as he shot forward.

Five minutes later, they stopped at the top of the hill and she quickly jumped off, trying to brush off any of the snow that had lodged itself in her jacket.

_Crap.. It's not coming off._

_I guess I'll have to just get it out when I take off my jacket in the lodge._

"I'm going up there now." She stated, giving Tamaki a quick glance over her shoulder.

She walked up the large set of wooden stairs, thankful to be out of the snow.

Pulling the door open she sighed in relief as the warm air hit her.

Shutting the door she unzipped her coat.

As she dropped it to the floor she heard a wet plop.

_That's probably not a good thing.._

Haruhi looked down at her shirt, which was also soaking wet.

_Crap.. _

_Damn snow._

_It got my pants too.._

_Why the hell would someone want to do this when it means you basically get soaked every time?_

She sighed, looking at a conveniently placed fireplace near her.

Sitting down at a couch next to it she took a deep breath in, enjoying the warmth coming from it.

"And what exactly happened to you?" Kyouya asked.

Her eyes snapped open and she saw him sitting in a chair across the room, "One round of tubing."

He gave a chuckle, "You are not very good at anything remotely active, are you?"

She closed her eyes again, "Not really.. I've always kind of sucked at it."

She heard fabric rustle and light footsteps come closer to her.

A hand lightly pressed against her head and she blinked, looking up Kyouya leaning over her.

"You really should change out of those clothes for the time being Haruhi. Staying in wet clothes is not good for you, no matter what your health is." He pulled her up off of the couch, leading her towards a door.

"I don't even have any clothes to change into. Mori-sempai said they wouldn't be here until later tonight. Because of the.. Uh.." She trailed off. Her mind not wanting to say that there even could be a possibility of a thunderstorm happening.

"That is true. But I suppose that there is something you can change into while I have a maid dry your clothes."

He pulled her into a familiar looking hallway, it was the one that led to the villa.

Soon enough, they were back into the mansion.

He pulled her into one of the rooms opening a drawer and throwing a bundle of clothes at her, "Here."

She looked at them confusedly, "Who's are these?"

His lips twitched upward, "Those are mine. All of the host's usually have clothing at the others main houses. I don't think I have worn them in quite some time and they've obviously been washed. Just put them on and give the maid your old ones. They'll probably be dry before the others come back."

Kyouya pushed her into the bathroom, shutting the door, practically saying out loud that she was not going to argue with him.

"I guess there's nothing I can really do.. That damn rich pushy bastard." She muttered stripping off her wet clothes.

Keeping her thankfully dry undergarments she pulled on the clothes he had handed her.

She looked in the mirror, sighing.

_I look like a two year old._

Kyouya had given her a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt.

They were much too big for her and it easily showed, seeing a she had to roll the pants up at the waist and the t-shirt hung loosely on her, feeling much too big on her.

_Well this is embarrassing._

Reluctantly, she pulled open the bathroom door to find a maid standing in front of her.

Silently she handed the clothes to her, watching as she scurried off before she could even say 'Thank you'.

Haruhi glanced around the room, Kyouya was nowhere to be found.

She took another step in it, looking around.

_Damn it where is he?_

Light footsteps rang out in the silent house as Kyouya walked up to the door of the room.

"Haruhi?" He called, looking inside of the room, "Oh, you are done changing then. That's good."

She noticed him pause, nonchalantly glancing at her, his eyes lingering on her clothing as he stared.

Her face began to get warm,"Uh, don't look at me like that please.. I know I look embarrassing, having you stare at me doesn't make it any better.."

His glasses slipped slightly down his face as a chuckle escaped his mouth, he didn't move to push them up, instead taking closer to her, placing his hand at her waist pulling her to him.

"Is that truthfully what you think I was staring at you for? Because, I can assure you that's not the case." He let out a light sigh, "If you truly wish to know, I suppose I'll tell you."

Bending a bit lower to get to her height he said, "I was looking at you that way, because quite frankly I thought you looked very cute.."

_Cute?_

_In this..?_

She blinked, "Really?"

"Yes. I though it would be quite obvious." His hand tilted her chin upward and she felt the ghost of his lips on hers.

That was when the first flash of lightning fell across the sky.

* * *

**Mhmm...  
I know, strange-ish ending there.  
Yeah.. But it was kinda necessary.  
Ah well, you'll get the rest Sunday.  
^^ I'm kinda excited to write the rest of all of these Switzerland chapters. They are going to be fun.  
Well, one of my readers: MexicanHippieChild has been at my house while I wrote half of this chapter... And I haven't really been paying any attention to her as I wrote, so I suppose I should do that now.  
I'll see you all Sunday!**

**~Blue**


	34. THIS IS AN APOLOGY TO THE 9TH DEGREE

**WELP.**

**IT'S BEEN LIKE TWO YEARS SINCE I UPDATED THIS AND I'M REALLY, REALLY SORRY...**

**I've been so busy with life and work and such this wandered out of my mind and stayed there.. **

**Well, I'm working on rereading the story, because hell, I don't even remember what I wrote from two years ago, and then I'll start updating regularly. **

**I'm currently in a musical production and the next two weeks are show weeks, so that might impair my speed on reading and updating, but I'm thinking sometime next weekend I might update.**

**SO. You guys should totally refresh yourselves on this story, because I doubt you remember it after this long. **

**And once again, I'm sorry. **

**I heart you guys so much.**

**AND. I noticed that I'm almost at 400 reviews; which is freaking awesome, by the way. But since I wont be updating right now, I'll probably offer a prize to my 450th reviewer, not my 400th like normal. **

**So, stay Host-loving, you guys. And I'll see you very soon. **

**Your author who hates herself on the inside for not updating,**

**Tallest Blue**


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